Dubai South
Dubai South is the district around Al Maktoum International Airport, and most of what is said about it is about the future. This page separates what has been officially approved from what remains expectation.
Written by Gilad HuberUpdated To be re-checked by
What it is, formally
Dubai South is not a neighbourhood that grew of its own accord but a planned government development. Law No. 11 of 2015 established the Dubai World Central Corporation as a subsidiary of the Dubai Aviation City Corporation, giving it powers to develop and operate infrastructure, to plan and parcel land and property, and to build and manage facilities for commercial, professional, industrial and residential purposes.
What that means practically for a buyer: the body behind the area's planning is a government entity rather than a private developer. That guarantees nothing – but it does mean the district does not depend on one developer's survival.1
The airport – what was actually approved
On 28 April 2024 the designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport were approved. These are the figures as published in the official announcement, rather than as they are quoted in marketing material.4
| What | How much |
|---|---|
| Project cost | AED 128 billion |
| Ultimate passenger capacity | 260 million passengers a year |
| First phase | 150 million passengers, within ten years |
| Runways | Five parallel runways |
| Terminals and concourses | Two terminals, four satellite concourses, over 400 aircraft stands |
| Site area | 70 square kilometres |
The same announcement stated that an entire city would be built around the airport in Dubai South, including housing for a million people. That is a statement of government intent – not a timetable, and not a commitment to a date.4
The wider planning context is the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which designates five urban centres – three existing and two new. One of the new ones is the Expo 2020 Centre, intended as an economic hub supported by exhibitions, global events and integrated logistics services.5
The ownership status
Here Dubai South is a rare case of an area whose designation for foreign ownership can be pointed at directly, by instrument and by plot number.
Resolution No. 8 of 2016, of 9 June 2016, added three plots in Madinat Al Mataar – 205, 206 and 207 – to the areas in which non-UAE nationals may hold freehold ownership without time restriction, as well as usufruct or lease rights of up to 99 years.
Resolution No. 7 of 2021, of 3 March 2021, added a further 21 plots in Madinat Al Mataar – Dubai Aviation City – on the same rights, and validated dispositions made by the Dubai Aviation City Corporation in those plots before its effective date.2,3
What this page is not saying
- There is no forecast here. An approved airport is not a rental yield, and a master plan is not a timetable.
- Phase dates on infrastructure of this scale move. The figures above are what was approved, not what has been delivered.
- This page does not cover tax, visas or Israeli reporting.
- It is accurate as at the review date at the top of the page.
Common questions
- Is Dubai South a freehold area?
- Certain plots within it – in Madinat Al Mataar – were designated as such by Resolution 8/2016 and Resolution 7/2021, which grant freehold ownership without time restriction as well as usufruct or lease rights of up to 99 years. The designation is by plot rather than by district, so the status of any particular plot must be confirmed with the Land Department.
- When will the airport be operating?
- The official April 2024 announcement refers to completing the first phase within ten years, at a capacity of 150 million passengers, out of an ultimate design capacity of 260 million. That is what was approved. Dates on projects of this scale move, and we do not present them as certainties.
Sources
Every link here is to a publication of the issuing body itself. If something on this page looks wrong to you, the source governs – not us.
- Law No. (11) of 2015 Establishing the Dubai World Central Corporation
Dubai Legislation PortalChecked 8 August 2026
- Resolution No. (8) of 2016 Adding Land to the Areas for Ownership by Non-UAE Nationals – Madinat Al Mataar (issued 9 June 2016)
Dubai Legislation PortalChecked 8 August 2026
- Resolution No. (7) of 2021 Adding Land to the Areas for Ownership – Madinat Al Mataar (Dubai Aviation City), issued 3 March 2021
Dubai Legislation PortalChecked 8 August 2026
- Approval of the designs of the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport – official announcement, 28 April 2024
Dubai Media OfficeChecked 8 August 2026
- Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan
The Official Portal of the UAE GovernmentChecked 8 August 2026
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