Passengers at Dubai, the world’s busiest airport for international traffic, rose 3.1% in 2025 and included 8.7 million in December, a monthly record.

Dubai International is “operating at the edge of physical capacity while consistently delivering operational excellence,” Dubai Airports said.

Passenger traffic is expected to rise further to 99.5 million this year, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths was quoted as saying.

That number could hit 115 million before the transition to Al Maktoum International on Dubai’s outskirts is completed in 2032, Griffiths said in October.

The US$35 billion facility will have an annual capacity of 150 million passengers within the next 10 years, the world’s biggest, eventually scaling up to 260 million.

Dubai, the oil-rich UAE’s trade and commercial centre, is well placed as an air hub serving flights between Africa, Asia and Europe.

Dubai ranked top for international traffic and second for total passengers behind Atlanta in 2024, according to the latest figures provided by Airports Council International.

The desert city of towering skyscrapers and beach resorts also welcomed a record 19.59 million international visitors in 2025, up 5% on 2024, its economy and tourism department said this week.