Emirates has broken ground on a USD 5.1 billion engineering complex at Dubai South set to become the world's most advanced maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. Delivered by China Railway Construction Corporation with Artelia as project consultant, the 1.1 million square metre development will rank among the largest buildings in the world by volume and the largest steel structure in the GCC.
The facility's headline feature is a hangar complex capable of simultaneously servicing 28 wide-body aircraft – the only one of its kind globally – alongside the world's largest free-span hangar at 285 metres wide and the largest dedicated landing gear workshop in the world. Supporting infrastructure includes 77,000 square metres of workshop space, 380,000 square metres of storage and logistics capacity, two paint hangars, 50,000 square metres of office space and 15,000 square metres of training facilities.
All facilities are targeting LEED Platinum certification, with rooftop solar installations across the complex. Construction is expected to complete by mid-2030.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer