Feb 6, 2025 • 6 min read
31.01.2025 - 14:35 / euronews.com / Rashid Al-Maktoum / Rebecca Ann Hughes
Dubai International Airport was the world's busiest for international travel in 2024, officials announced on Thursday.
The hub saw a record 92.3 million passengers pass through its terminals last year.
The result cements Dubai's bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing the previous record set in 2018 for the first time.
It coincides with a real-estate boom and the city's highest-ever tourism numbers, which have made Dubai a trending destination as well as a popular layover stop.
However, the city is now grappling with increasing traffic and housing costs, pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents who power its economy.
Today, Dubai International Airport feels like it is bursting at the seams with aircraft movements and crowds passing through its cavernous terminals.
Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced the record number of passengers on the social media platform X.
The state-owned airport is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, which powers the network of state-owned and state-linked businesses known as 'Dubai Inc'.
“Dubai is the airport of the world [...] and a new world in the aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
In 2023, the airport, known as DXB, had 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 traffic was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 - its previous busiest-ever year before the pandemic - while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022.
In 10 years, authorities plan to move operations to the city-state's second airport after a nearly $35 billion (€33.5 billion) upgrade.
Al Maktoum International Airport is roughly 45 kilometres away from DXB.
The airport, which opened in 2010 with one terminal and is known as DWC, served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic.
But since then, it has slowly returned to life with cargo and private flights. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.
DXB and DWC serve 106 airlines flying to 272 cities in 107 countries across the world.
While tourism adverts continue to entice travellers to the city, the constant increase in arrivals is putting a strain on the local population and infrastructure.
Traffic on Dubai's roads is becoming a nightmare for commuters. The price of housing continues to spike, even with new real estate projects being announced almost daily.
“Dubai is on steroids but affordability risks are increasing,” Hasnain Malik warned in a report for the global data firm Tellimer, where he's a managing director.
Feb 6, 2025 • 6 min read
For over 30 years, I helped companies ranging from startups to giants like Shell and Chevron navigate strategic change. As a consultant, I focused on guiding organizations through uncertainty — always with a servant leadership mindset.
For many Black travelers, trip planning isn’t as simple as clicking “book.” Travelers can be met with racism, unconscious bias, and stereotypes upon arrival. When choosing where to stay, it's common to seek out a place that feels safe and welcoming, and also works within your budget.
Nothing can rekindle romance quite like travel. No matter your love language, quality time together — especially in a new destination — simply makes people feel closer. While flutes of Champagne and candlelit dinners are all well and good, embarking on an escape built around a shared passion is even better and can create a deeper connection whether you've been together for four months or 40 years.
Feb 1, 2025 • 12 min read
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephen and Joanna Vargha, a married couple who moved from North Carolina to Cuenca, Ecuador, in 2020 after retiring early. Cuenca is located in the Andes mountains and has a population of about 600,000 people. Their interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jan 30, 2025 • 8 min read
You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News.
Dubai boasts the tallest building, the biggest mall, and the water park with the most water slides in the world. Despite these claims to fame, I still considered it a stopover city, not a full vacation destination.
Planning an international trip for six people is challenging; doing it with four teenagers requires extra preparation. When my twin sons graduated from high school in Australia, we celebrated with a three-week adventure across the US and Mexico.
It was an idyllic August day when my husband, two children, and I arrived at our Airbnb in southern France .
Every year in late January, streets transform into a sea of red — lights, lanterns, and even little kids dressed in festive hues signal the start of Lunar New Year celebrations.