Passenger traffic set fresh records at DXB in 2024 (92.3 million, making it the world’s busiest airport) and kept surging in 2025, estimated to end at 96 million, even as the city readies the generational hand-off to a far larger Al Maktoum International (DWC). The $35-billion DWC build-out (with over 400 aircraft stands and an eventual 260-million-passenger design capacity) moved from rendering to reality this spring, the clearest signal yet of a logistics and visitor economy still in expansion mode. The incumbent, however, still ranks Top 5 in our Airports subcategory.
On the ground, Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan is shifting from policy to pilot. Al Barsha 2 is the first “20-minute city” model district, adding more than 10 miles of shaded walking and cycling paths and local mobility hubs to put daily needs within a short stroll or ride. And the 18-mile, 14-station Metro Blue Line should open by late 2029, knitting dense eastern communities and Dubai Creek into the driverless network. It’s all good news for a city with Walkability, Biking and Public Transit rankings currently well out of the Top 100.
The skyline keeps grabbing headlines. One Za’abeel’s skybridge, The Link, is the world’s longest cantilever and anchors a two-tower mixed-use node where One&Only One Za’abeel opened with a chef-driven dining roster and SIRO next door adding a performance-wellness hotel concept. Dorchester Collection’s The Lana debuted along the Dubai Water Canal with a Foster + Partners profile and Dior’s first spa in the city. Jumeirah’s long-trailed Marsa Al Arab finally opened in March 2025, completing the brand’s beachfront trilogy beside Burj Al Arab.
Retail gravity is tilting toward the Creek: Emaar finalized designs for Dubai Square, the next mega-mall at Dubai Creek Harbour, envisioned as the city’s No. 2 shopping and entertainment destination and aligned with the next phase of Dubai Creek Tower.
For capital flows, momentum is unmistakable. Dubai posted a record $207 billion in real estate transactions in 2024 and announced an astonishing 1,117 greenfield FDI projects – strengthening pipelines in finance, AI, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing. Those numbers translate into cranes, keys and jobs, with the city ranking #6 in our overall Prosperity index, powered by #2 in the Labor Force Participation subcategory.