The United Arab Emirates is preparing for a watershed moment in 2026, with the country’s airports and airlines collectively expected to handle well over ninety-nine million passengers as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah cement their status as global travel and tourism powerhouses. An unprecedented wave of infrastructure investment, airline expansion and tourism promotion is converging to push the UAE’s aviation sector to record-breaking levels, underscoring its central role in the global air transport network and the country’s wider economic diversification agenda.
Dubai Leads a New Global Aviation Super-Cycle
Dubai remains the anchor of this growth story. Dubai International Airport, already the world’s busiest hub for international passengers, handled a record 95.2 million travelers in 2025, the highest annual international traffic ever recorded at a single airport. That performance has allowed operators to talk not of recovery, but of a new operating normal in which record volumes are sustained across months and quarters rather than concentrated in seasonal peaks.
Building on that momentum, Dubai Airports has lifted its 2026 forecast to about 99.5 million passengers, bringing the hub within touching distance of the symbolic 100 million mark. Forecasts last year suggested Dubai would reach that milestone in 2027, but resilient travel demand has pulled expectations forward. The emirate’s role as a global crossroads for business, leisure and transit travel, supported by the long-haul networks of Emirates and flydubai, continues to underpin this rapid growth.
Operational data from 2025 underlines the scale and consistency of the surge. Dubai International closed the year with its busiest month, quarter and full year on record, handling some 25 million passengers in the final quarter alone. Aircraft movements topped 450,000 for the year, while load factors and average passengers per flight remained high, indicating that the growth is not just about adding more flights, but also about fuller aircraft and sustained route demand.
This performance sets the tone for the wider UAE aviation market. With Dubai expected to account for the bulk of the country’s international traffic in 2026, the emirate’s near-100-million-passenger forecast is a major driver behind national projections that the UAE’s combined airports could collectively welcome comfortably more than ninety-nine million travelers next year as new capacity and routes come online elsewhere in the federation.
Abu Dhabi’s Rebranded Hub Targets Aggressive Growth
Abu Dhabi is emerging as a powerful second pillar of the UAE’s aviation strategy. The capital’s main gateway, rebranded as Zayed International Airport following the opening of its new terminal complex, has been designed with long-term expansion in mind. The state-of-the-art facility consolidates previous terminals into a single, more efficient hub, increasing annual passenger handling capacity and enabling the airport to support the next growth phase of Etihad Airways and the emirate’s broader tourism ambitions.
Etihad itself reported carrying more than 20 million passengers over a recent 12-month period for the first time in its history, reflecting strong post-pandemic recovery and a carefully calibrated growth strategy centered on fleet renewal and targeted network expansion. Long-haul routes linking Abu Dhabi to North America, Europe and Asia, complemented by regional connectivity across the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Africa, are positioning the carrier as a key competitor in the global transfer market.
Forward-looking tourism and economic plans in Abu Dhabi point to further aviation gains through and beyond 2026. The emirate aims to attract tens of millions of annual visitors by the end of the decade, supported by major cultural and leisure anchors such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island’s museum district, and the theme parks and entertainment cluster on Yas Island. To stimulate demand, Etihad and local tourism authorities have launched initiatives such as free digital visitor passes that bundle data connectivity, public transport access and attraction discounts, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a stopover and destination in its own right.
As the new Zayed International Airport ramps up operations and Etihad’s fleet and route map continue to grow, Abu Dhabi is expected to contribute an increasingly significant share of the UAE’s total passenger volumes in 2026. While its numbers remain below those of Dubai’s megahub, the capital’s trajectory is firmly aligned with the national target of surpassing ninety-nine million passengers and building a multi-hub system that can absorb long-term demand.
Sharjah’s High-Growth Gateway Comes of Age
Sharjah International Airport has quietly become one of the Gulf’s standout growth stories, moving from a niche low-cost base to a diversified regional hub. In 2025 the airport welcomed about 19.5 million passengers, up from roughly 17.1 million in 2024 and 15.3 million in 2023. That 13.9 percent annual growth rate is among the strongest in the region and reflects sustained expansion in both scheduled services and charter operations.
Sharjah’s performance has been propelled by its home-based carrier Air Arabia, one of the Middle East’s most established low-cost airlines, as well as an expanding roster of regional and international airlines. During 2025, the airport’s network crossed the 100-destination mark, with new routes added across Europe, Africa and Asia. Additional carriers from neighboring Gulf states, North Africa and South Asia have introduced services, broadening choices for price-sensitive leisure travelers and expatriate communities.
The airport’s strategic plan targets an annual capacity of 25 million passengers by 2027, supported by ongoing investments in terminal enhancements, runway and apron upgrades, and technology to streamline processing times. Recent statistics show aircraft movements rising to more than 116,000 flights in 2025, alongside robust growth in cargo volumes and sea-air logistics, reinforcing Sharjah’s position as both a passenger and freight gateway.
Looking ahead to 2026, Sharjah is expected to maintain double-digit growth as new routes mature and upcoming services, including direct long-haul links to key European cities, come online. These gains will feed directly into the nationwide tally, with Sharjah’s expanding role helping push the UAE beyond the ninety-nine-million-passenger mark and adding resilience to the overall network by offering a strong alternative to larger hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Ras Al Khaimah’s Niche Strategy Gains International Traction
Further north, Ras Al Khaimah is pursuing a distinct aviation model centered on leisure tourism, adventure travel and targeted charter operations. Although significantly smaller than the country’s main gateways, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is playing a growing role in diversifying the UAE’s travel offering by catering to travelers seeking quieter resorts, mountain landscapes and outdoor experiences in the emirate’s rugged hinterland.
Over recent years, the airport has attracted a mix of low-cost and charter airlines from key source markets in Europe and Central Asia, often tied to package holidays that combine beachside stays with excursions to attractions such as Jebel Jais, one of the region’s highest peaks and a hub for hiking and zipline activities. As global demand for nature and wellness-focused travel rises, Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism authorities are positioning the emirate as a complementary alternative to the urban intensity of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Air service development strategies in Ras Al Khaimah have focused on incentivizing carriers to open seasonal and year-round routes that align with hotel expansions and new resort openings along the coastline. Infrastructure upgrades at the airport, including terminal improvements and plans for cargo handling enhancements, are designed to support incremental increases in passenger throughput without compromising the boutique feel that distinguishes the emirate from its larger neighbors.
While Ras Al Khaimah’s absolute passenger numbers remain modest in comparison, its growth trajectory contributes to the collective picture of a UAE aviation sector firing on multiple cylinders. Each additional route and charter program feeding into Ras Al Khaimah adds marginal volume to the national total, pushing the country closer to a scenario in which overall air traffic comfortably surpasses ninety-nine million passengers in 2026.
Airlines Scale Up Fleets, Networks and Partnerships
The push toward record passenger volumes in 2026 cannot be understood without examining the strategies of the UAE’s airlines. Emirates, Dubai’s flagship carrier, continues to expand capacity through widebody fleet investments, cabin refurbishments and network optimization. Its global route map, spanning six continents, funnels millions of international passengers through Dubai each month, underpinning the airport’s status as a premier long-haul transfer hub.
Flydubai, the emirate’s hybrid low-cost carrier, complements Emirates by serving secondary and emerging markets that feed traffic into Dubai’s long-haul connections. Its focus on Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and East Africa broadens catchment areas and diversifies the passenger base. The synergy between Emirates and flydubai, including coordinated schedules and interline agreements, has proved a powerful tool for maximizing the utilization of Dubai’s hub infrastructure.
In Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways is progressing through a measured growth plan centered on sustainable profitability. Recent records in annual passenger numbers, driven by higher load factors and targeted route additions, reflect an underlying shift from previous capacity-heavy strategies to a model that emphasizes yield and network quality. Partnerships through alliances and codeshare agreements expand Etihad’s virtual network and feed volumes into Zayed International Airport without the need to operate every route directly.
Air Arabia, based in Sharjah, remains the region’s archetypal low-cost success story. Its multi-hub model, which includes joint ventures in other Middle Eastern and North African markets, reinforces Sharjah’s role within a wider network that spans dozens of destinations across Europe, Asia and Africa. By offering competitively priced point-to-point services, Air Arabia draws in large numbers of budget-conscious travelers who might otherwise have chosen connecting itineraries through rival hubs, bolstering Sharjah’s traffic and, by extension, the UAE’s national totals.
Tourism, Events and Economic Diversification Power Demand
Underlying the sharp rise in passenger numbers is a deliberate policy framework that places tourism and aviation at the heart of the UAE’s economic diversification. Dubai’s visitor arrivals have climbed to successive record highs, supported by initiatives that promote the city as a year-round destination for leisure, business events, shopping and cultural experiences. Mega-attractions, waterfront developments and a packed calendar of festivals and conferences provide steady traffic drivers that keep airport volumes elevated even outside traditional peak seasons.
Abu Dhabi is simultaneously pushing ahead with its own tourism blueprint, anchored in culture, sports and family entertainment. High-profile events in motorsport, golf and combat sports, alongside art fairs and museum openings, attract international visitors and generate strong outbound and inbound flows for airlines. Incentive programs for stopovers encourage transfer passengers to spend additional nights in the emirate, increasing both tourism receipts and per-passenger value.
Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah add further diversity to the mix. Sharjah’s cultural institutions, traditional souks and waterfront developments appeal to travelers seeking a more low-key, heritage-focused experience, while Ras Al Khaimah’s focus on nature and wellness tourism opens up new segments in adventure travel. Together, these offerings help broaden the UAE’s appeal beyond its flagship urban icons, supporting a more balanced tourism ecosystem and widening the funnel for inbound air travel.
This multi-pronged tourism strategy interacts directly with aviation. Airlines plan routes and capacity in line with tourism boards’ campaigns and hotel pipeline data, while airports design their facilities around expected demand from key source markets. The result is a feedback loop in which rising visitor numbers justify further investment in aviation infrastructure, which in turn enables even greater throughput and route diversity.
Infrastructure Expansion Positions the UAE for the Next Decade
To accommodate surging passenger volumes, the UAE is investing heavily in airport infrastructure that looks beyond 2026 and toward the 2030s. In Dubai, work is gathering pace on the multi-billion-dollar expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, slated to eventually take over from Dubai International as the emirate’s primary hub. The long-term plan envisions capacity for well over 100 million passengers a year, with multiple runways and large-scale, next-generation terminal complexes.
While Dubai International continues to operate near its physical limits, incremental improvements in processes and technology are allowing the hub to squeeze more capacity out of existing infrastructure. Enhanced baggage systems, smarter airside operations and expanded use of biometric and self-service technologies are designed to reduce dwell times, minimize queues and maintain service standards even as traffic grows toward the upper bound of current forecasts for 2026.
In Abu Dhabi, the new Zayed International Airport terminal significantly expands the capital’s handling capabilities, with ample room for additional gates, lounges and retail space as Etihad and partner airlines grow. The facility’s design prioritizes intuitive passenger flows, shorter transfer times and environmental efficiency, aligning with global trends toward greener and more user-friendly airports.
Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah are also upgrading their facilities, albeit on a smaller scale. Sharjah’s program of terminal enhancements and runway works seeks to support its medium-term goal of handling 25 million passengers annually, while Ras Al Khaimah is fine-tuning its airport to support the niche tourism markets it is cultivating. Together, these investments form a national aviation ecosystem capable of handling well over ninety-nine million passengers in 2026, with capacity headroom to accommodate additional growth in subsequent years.
Challenges, Competition and the Road Beyond 2026
Despite the upbeat forecasts and record-breaking statistics, the UAE’s aviation sector faces several challenges as it enters this new phase of growth. Intensifying global competition from other hubs, evolving airline business models and geopolitical uncertainties all have the potential to influence passenger flows. At the same time, environmental pressures are forcing the industry worldwide to consider how to reconcile expansion with decarbonization commitments and community concerns about emissions and noise.
Within the UAE, rapid growth brings its own operational pressures. Airports must continue to invest in staffing, systems and crisis preparedness to maintain reliability at high utilization levels. Aligning immigration, customs and security processes with the pace of traffic growth remains essential to safeguarding the country’s reputation for efficient, hassle-free transit. Urban planning and ground transport connections also need to keep pace to avoid congestion and ensure that airports remain accessible to residents and visitors alike.
Nonetheless, the structural drivers behind the UAE’s rise as a global aviation and tourism hub remain firmly in place. Strategic geographic location, investor-friendly policies, ambitious national visions and a proven ability to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects give the country a strong foundation from which to navigate headwinds. Airlines and airports are already experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel initiatives, fleet modernization and smarter operations to address environmental concerns while preserving growth trajectories.
As 2026 approaches, the consensus among industry stakeholders is that the UAE’s airports and airlines are on track to welcome well beyond ninety-nine million passengers, marking another landmark in the nation’s aviation story. What began as a bold bet on connectivity has matured into a diversified, multi-hub ecosystem that is reshaping global travel patterns and reinforcing the UAE’s status as one of the world’s most important gateways for people, commerce and culture.