Last checked on 29 October 2026.
The quick answer
Al Maktoum Airport will open its first phase in 2032. The full airport is planned for more than 260 million passengers a year, and the budget is AED 128 billion. Those facts are confirmed.
Many claims you read about Dubai South property are not confirmed. Price rise numbers like 15 or 20 percent are forecasts. Yield numbers like 7 to 9 percent do not match the latest market data, which shows an average gross yield of 3.9 percent for 2025.
Here is the part most guides skip. About 38,000 new homes are due in Dubai South between 2027 and 2029, which is years before the airport opens. So buy for the area you can see today, not only for the airport you hope for.
Why this guide is different
Most articles on this topic repeat the same exciting lines: world’s largest airport, prices set to jump, yields of 8 to 11 percent. Few give a date for each claim. Fewer still tell you who made the forecast, how old it is, or what could go wrong.
We checked the airport facts against June 2026 reports, then checked the property numbers against the newest market data from October 2026. Every number below has a source. Where sources disagree, we tell you.
What is confirmed about the airport
These facts come from reports published on 15 and 16 June 2026.
- First phase opening: 2032
- Full capacity: more than 260 million passengers a year
- Cargo: 12 million tonnes a year
- Layout: five parallel runways, two passenger terminals, seven concourses and more than 430 aircraft stands
- Site size: about 70 square kilometres
- Total budget: AED 128 billion, about USD 35 billion
- Contracts being built now: AED 13 billion
- Contracts still to be awarded: more than AED 55 billion, “in the coming months”
- Work done so far: more than 17,000 concrete piles, more than 45 million cubic metres dug out, second runway finished
- Workforce: about 9,000 now, about 120,000 at the peak
Gulf News reported these figures on 15 June 2026, and AGBI repeated them. The AED 128 billion budget comes from Arabian Business, which also says the first phase aims for 150 million passengers.
What is still unclear
A few things remain open. Know them before you decide.
- The date for the full airport. No finish date has been published for the whole build. Only the first phase has a date.
- The first phase size. Arabian Business says 150 million passengers. A MEED commentary says 130 million by 2032. Use “up to about 150 million” and name the source.
- What happens to Dubai International (DXB). Sheikh Mohammed said in April 2024 that DXB operations will move to Al Maktoum. No plan for the DXB site has been announced.
- The metro link. A roughly 3 km Route 2020 extension from Expo City to the West Terminal is being designed. A longer Airport Express Line is only under study. Neither is built.
Is the airport really “five times bigger” than DXB?
You will see this claim often. It is wrong if you mean passengers. DXB handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025, its busiest year. The new airport is planned for more than 260 million. That is about 2.7 times DXB’s 2025 traffic, not five times. The site itself is larger, but capacity is the number that matters to buyers.
What the 2026 data says about Dubai South
The freshest source is an Anarock report, covered by Khaleej Times on 26 October 2026. It covers January to August 2026.
- Home sales: 12,428 (2025 full year: 9,788, so 27 percent more already)
- Sales value: AED 15.9 billion (2025 full year: AED 19.6 billion)
- Average price per sq ft: AED 1,656 (AED 650 in 2020)
- Average sale price: AED 1.28 million (AED 2.57 million in 2023)
- Share of sales that are off plan: 94 percent
- Studios: 45 percent of sales
- Studios and one bedrooms together: about 76 percent
- Average yearly rent: AED 82,063 (AED 34,534 in 2020)
Three things to take from this.
First, demand is real. Sales and rents have both risen sharply since 2020.
Second, the average price per sq ft is AED 1,656. Many older guides quote AED 800 to 1,200. The old range may match the cheapest units, but it no longer describes what buyers pay on average. Always ask for the price per sq ft of the exact unit you want.
Third, the market is mostly small units sold off plan. That matters when you think about resale and renting, which we cover next.
The supply wave nobody talks about
The same Anarock report shows 38,116 homes scheduled for delivery from 2027 to 2029. The peak is 2028, with 16,094 homes. For comparison, only 10,813 homes have been delivered in Dubai South from 2016 to today. So the next three years bring about 3.5 times as many homes as the last decade.
The airport opens in 2032. Those homes arrive years earlier.
What does this mean for you?
- If you buy off plan now and hand over in 2028, you may compete with thousands of similar units for tenants and buyers.
- Studios are the most common unit, so a studio owner may face the most competition.
- Larger homes and well located units are easier to tell apart from the crowd.
None of this means prices must fall. It means you should not assume the airport alone will lift your unit. Dates matter.
Yields: why guides disagree
Some guides promise current yields of 7 to 9 percent and 8 to 11 percent by 2030. The Anarock data shows something lower. The average gross yield in 2025 was 3.9 percent. Apartments averaged 4.3 percent, townhouses 3.4 percent and villas 3.0 percent. Anarock states these figures before service charges, vacancy and transaction costs.
Gross yield is the yearly rent divided by the price. Net yield is what you keep after costs. Here is a simple example. These numbers are for illustration only, not a promise.
- A home costs AED 1,000,000.
- It rents for AED 40,000 a year, a 4 percent gross yield.
- Service charges, a few empty weeks and agent fees take away AED 10,000.
- You keep AED 30,000, a 3 percent net yield.
Do this sum with the real service charge and rent of your unit before you buy. Ask the developer for the service charge per sq ft and ask a local agent for recent rents on similar units.
Forecasts are not facts: five claims, checked
- “Prices spiked 15 percent after the airport news” — The Arabian Business article describes a projected rise of up to 15 percent from industry insiders, dated June 2024. It shows no price data and no method.
- “The airport is five times bigger than DXB” — About 2.7 times in passenger capacity.
- “The airport brings 2028 to 2030 growth” — The official first phase date is 2032.
- “Current yields are 7 to 9 percent” — Anarock’s 2025 average gross yield is 3.9 percent.
- “Prices are AED 800 to 1,200 per sq ft” — The 2026 average sale is AED 1,656 per sq ft.
When you see a big number, ask three questions. Who said it? When? Where is the data?
The risk most guides skip: noise
A MEED commentary from July 2025 raises airport noise as a concern for Dubai South and Emaar South. The writer expects noise to rise once the airport is busy. Some residents describe current noise as faint but noticeable. The same piece notes that today’s residential projects sit more than 4 km from the runways and outside the direct flight path.
This is one writer’s view and some resident comments, not a measured result. Treat it as a question to check, not a fact. Before you buy, ask:
- How far is the unit from the runways?
- Is it under a planned flight path?
- Do the windows have noise insulation?
- Can I visit at different times of day?
Transport: what exists and what does not
Today you drive. Dubai South sits roughly 35 to 40 km from Downtown and Marina, so the road is your main link. The Expo City to airport metro extension is in design. The Airport Express Line is under study. A longer rail plan may add a station near the airport, but it is only proposed.
Do not price a rail line into your decision until it has an approval and a date.
Who should consider Dubai South now
First home buyers can find lower prices than in central Dubai, but they should check commute time and daily services first. Visit the area on a weekday morning.
Rental investors should work out net yield, not gross, and plan for competition from the 2027 to 2029 deliveries.
Resale investors need patience. A unit sold off plan then resold at handover competes with many other units. Larger homes and good locations may stand out more.
Golden Visa seekers should check current rules on the official Dubai Land Department page, because thresholds change.
People who want a quick win should be careful. The airport’s first phase is years away.
Questions to ask before you book
- What is the exact price per sq ft, and how does it compare with recent sales nearby?
- What is the service charge per sq ft?
- What is the handover date, and is it in writing?
- How many similar units are being built within a few kilometres?
- How far is the project from the runways and the flight path?
- How far is it from the nearest metro station that exists today?
- Who is the developer, and what have they delivered before?
- Are payments going into a regulated escrow account?
If an agent cannot answer these, pause. Good projects answer them easily.
Frequently asked questions
When will Al Maktoum Airport open?
The first phase opens in 2032. No date has been published for the full build.
How big will Al Maktoum Airport be?
It is planned for more than 260 million passengers a year, five runways and 12 million tonnes of cargo.
How much will it cost?
The total budget is AED 128 billion, about USD 35 billion.
Will Dubai International close?
Sheikh Mohammed said in April 2024 that DXB operations will move to Al Maktoum. No plan for the DXB site has been announced.
Will Dubai South property prices rise because of the airport?
Some forecasts say yes, but forecasts are not guarantees. Prices and sales have risen since 2020, and 2026 sales are already 27 percent above all of 2025. Future gains depend on supply, demand and timing.
What is the rental yield in Dubai South?
Anarock reports an average gross yield of 3.9 percent for 2025, before service charges, vacancy and other costs. Your own yield depends on the unit.
Is Dubai South oversupplied?
About 38,116 homes are due between 2027 and 2029, with a peak in 2028. That is a lot of new supply. Whether it is too much depends on demand, which is hard to predict.
Is Dubai South a good investment?
It can suit buyers who plan for the long term and check the details. It carries risks too: heavy supply, small unit competition and possible noise.
Final thoughts
Al Maktoum Airport is a real, funded project, and Dubai South has seen strong sales and rising rents. But the airport’s first phase is still years away, and thousands of new homes arrive first. The best buyers separate confirmed facts from forecasts, work out net yield and check the exact unit, not just the area.
If you want to see projects in the area, read our guide to Dubai South off plan projects and our list of under AED 1 million apartments in JVC and Dubai South. We update this page when new data arrives.
Source
Al Maktoum Airport June 2026 reports (Gulf News); Al Maktoum Airport budget (Arabian Business); Anarock Dubai South market data (Khaleej Times); Airport noise commentary (MEED); AGBI airport coverage (AGBI)