Emirates has launched construction on what is set to become the world's most advanced aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, breaking ground on a $5.1 billion engineering complex at Dubai South that will redefine the global MRO landscape.
Spanning 1.1 million square metres, the facility will rank among the largest buildings in the world by volume and stand as the largest steel structure in the GCC. At its core is a hangar complex capable of simultaneously servicing 28 wide-body aircraft, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. The development also includes the largest free-span hangar on earth at 285 metres wide, the largest dedicated landing gear workshop globally, 77,000 square metres of workshop space and 380,000 square metres of storage and logistics capacity.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, alongside Emirates President Sir Tim Clark and senior officials from Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South. China Railway Construction Corporation has been appointed as the main contractor, with Artelia serving as project consultants.
Sheikh Ahmed described the investment as a strategic step aligned with Dubai's Economic Agenda D33, saying the facility would strengthen Emirates Engineering's vertical integration by consolidating skills, infrastructure and specialist capabilities under one roof.
All facilities within the complex are targeting LEED Platinum certification, with solar panels planned across rooftops as part of a broader sustainability drive.
Construction is expected to wrap up by mid-2030, after which the hangar complex will begin servicing aircraft requiring heavy maintenance, supplementing operations at the existing Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
