The facility which is celebrating its 57th anniversary today has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Construction of the airport was ordered by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum in 1959 and officially opened in 1960.
The runway at the time was made from compacted sand and it wasn’t until 1965 that the airport got its first asphalt runway. A second runway was opened in 1984.
By 1980, just over 2.7 million passengers were using the facility each year, and increased passenger levels soon meant that Dubai Airport needed to expand. In 2008, a third terminal building was completed, for the exclusive use of Emirates flights.
From serving 20 destinations in 1969 to over 240 in 2017, Dubai International Airport is now the world’s busiest in terms of international passengers.
Here are some facts: