Abu Dhabi International Airport is the primary gateway to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As Abu Dhabi evolves into a global city where increasing numbers of people choose to live and to visit, the passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport has also been growing in tandem. By 2015, 20 million people are expected to use Abu Dhabi International Airport as their origin, destination or transit point for their international flights. This growth trend is expected to continue well into the future as the overall economy expands and diversifies.

To this effect, The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is undertaking a multibillion AED investment program to ensure that the airport is able to provide world-class services, infrastructure and facilities to meet this demand. This is in keeping with the Government’s Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, an Emirate-wide strategy to cater for Abu Dhabi’s business and tourism growth.

The centerpiece of Emirate’s multibillion investment program is the Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), which comprises a state of the art terminal facility (Midfield Terminal Building – MTB) that will include a vast array of duty free offerings, restaurants, lounges and much more, to cater for a capacity of 20-40 million passengers per year. The MTC development program will also encompass airside and landside infrastructure, a multi-story car park, cargo building, catering building, maintenance complex and other supporting facilities.

The MTC will add to the economic impact of Abu Dhabi International Airport. The airport is already a major employer and a significant contributor to the economy of the Emirate. A recent study estimates that by the end of 2015, the total economic impact of the airport will reach 36 billion AED annually and of that, 15 billion AED can be directly attributed to the MTC. In 2030, when the MTC is fully built out, the economic impact of the MTC is expected to increase to 41 billion AED; well over half of the 71 billion AED expected from the entire airport.

The MTC will be located between the airport’s two runways. This optimum configuration allows for efficient operations, minimum taxi time from runways to aircraft parking stands, and results in a superior experience for the guests of the airport.

The MTC’s terminal building will be one of the region’s largest and most architecturally iconic structures. It will be 630,000 square meters in size. The central space of the terminal building will be large enough to hold three full-sized football pitches while the check-in hall features a ceiling 52 meters tall at its highest point.

The complex will include up to 20,000 to 25,000 square meters of retail and food and beverage outlets, roughly equivalent to the current size of Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. These are set around a 1,000 square meter indoor garden, another first for the region, which will host a wide variety of landscapes and species from the region and beyond.