Emirates Airlines on May 18 inaugurated a $5.1 billion aircraft engineering facility that will become one of the largest aviation MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) developments in the world. The Dubai South facility, located next to Al Maktoum International Airport, will be a massive next-generation complex with 1.1 million square meters.
Construction is already underway on the facility, which will have the largest free hanger in the world. At 285 meters wide, the hangar will have the capacity to service 28 widebody aircraft simultaneously and will include two state-of-the-art paint hangars, according to a statement released by Emirates. The site will include 77,000 square meters of dedicated workshop space for repairs and maintenance and 380,000 square meters for storage and logistics. The administrative building will have an area of 50,000 square meters and there will be a training center of 15,000 square meters. A dedicated airspace access walkway will allow aircraft access to it from the airstrips.
Funding for the MRO complex will be provided entirely from Emirates’ own balance sheet and cash reserves. There is no indication of external lenders or government budget allocations. The 2025-2026 financial results reported by Emirates, which will provide the capital investment of $5.1 billion. The airlines entered the 2025-26 fiscal year with Dh59.6 billion ($16.2 billion) in cash assets and record profits.
Dubai South aims to establish Dubai as a global destination for aeronautical engineering. Dubai is already a major international hub for global air travel between eastern and western destinations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Emirates Airline Chairman and CEO Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said, “The engineering facility is a strategic step in Dubai’s future-focused aviation ambitions. The new facility reinforces Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production and specialized capabilities to the airline as the company’s strategic partner airline, while serving as a strategic aero engine partner for the future requirements of the regional and global aviation industry.”
Shaikh Ahmed added that the facility reinforces Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda and its ambition to remain a global aviation hub. Dubai D33 is a long-term strategy designed to double the size of Dubai’s economy within 10 years and place the city among the top three global cities for business, investment and quality of life.
The work at Dubai South will be carried out by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Ltd, while international engineering and consulting group Artelia will act as the project consultant. The engineering facility is due to be completed by 2030, when it will begin servicing aircraft requiring heavy maintenance and overflow projects from the Emirates Engineering Center at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
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CRCC Chairman Dai Hegen stated during the ceremony that the Beijing-based construction company will “mobilize premium resources and assemble a professional team to deliver high-level construction, efficient progress and quality results, striving to build a model project for China-UAE cooperation.”
Dubai South is also expected to set an example of sustainability, with all facilities in the project targeting a LEED Platinum rating, while solar panels will be installed on the complex’s rooftops, as well as other sustainable initiatives.
