Strategic decision to build a new airport

The decision to build a new airport was a strategic one in the truest sense of the word. Businessmen at the time, gathering at the majlis of Sheikh Rashid, did not understand initially the importance of that decision, and they were wondering whether Dubai needed such a huge airport. Sheikh Rashid told them the new airport would one day be insufficient to accommodate growth in passenger numbers. This is exactly what happened a few years after the completion of the airport's construction.

Mohammed Abdullah Ahli, Director General, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA)

Highlights

Dubai … part of the UAE federation
A new airport
Middle East's largest airport constructed at a cost of £4 million
April 15, 1969 … construction starts
New airstrip to receive large aircraft