Emirates has begun construction of a new colossal engineering facility at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), also known as Dubai World Central, which includes a hangar with capacity for 28 widebody aircraft.
On May 18, 2026, the Dubai flag carrier held a ceremony to officially break ground on the $5.1 billion engineering complex, which is being built by China Railway Construction Corporation.
According to Emirates, the facility will span 1.1 million square meters (11.8 million square feet), making it “one of the largest buildings in the world by volume and the largest steel structure” in the Gulf region.
“Today’s groundbreaking for the US$ 5.1 billion engineering facility is a strategic step forward in Dubai’s future-focused aviation ambitions,” said Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO, Emirates Group. “The new facility strengthens Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production, and specialist capabilities under one roof, while positioning the airline to serve as a strategic engineering partner for the future requirements of the regional and global aviation industry.”
Its largest free-span hangar will stretch 285 meters (935 feet), making it the largest in the world, according to the airline.
Heavy maintenance from 2030
There will also be two painting hangars, 77,000 square meters (829,000 square feet) of dedicated workshop space for repairs and maintenance, plus 380,000 square meters (4.1 million square feet) of storage and logistics capacity.
The maintenance, repairs, and overhaul (MRO) facility is expected to be completed by the middle of 2030.
The hangar complex will initially start servicing aircraft requiring heavy maintenance and spillover projects from the Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport (DXB).