His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that Dubai currently has nearly AED2.1 trillion worth of projects underway, spanning strategic projects in housing, transportation, aviation, infrastructure and economic development.
His Highness’s remarks came during the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum, the premier annual gathering dedicated to management and leadership, which kicked off today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together 1,000 key government and private sector leaders in Dubai, alongside a host of experts, decision-makers and academics. The event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
The Forum was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee; Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture); and His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development (MBRCLD).
Shaping the future
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stated: “Dubai is building a city within a city. Today we have AED2.1 trillion in active projects underway, with more to be announced in the coming phase. Our momentum is continuous and our achievements are ongoing. This is a remarkable period for growth and development; the ideal time to invest in Dubai and its infrastructure. Dubai is preparing for a new phase of economic growth through heavy investment in housing, transportation and infrastructure.”
His Highness added: “Today, we build the infrastructure of tomorrow by expanding Dubai’s capacity to accommodate the growth of its population, businesses and economic sectors. Our goal is to ensure Dubai remains ready for growth, while delivering the highest standards of living, working and investing.”
His Highness concluded: “Cities that aspire for progress act before others. We want leaders who can read shifting dynamics, make swift decisions, and transform ideas into projects and projects into tangible outcomes that people can feel in their lives.”
Major projects
Dubai’s portfolio of ongoing projects spans a wide range of sectors, from housing, transportation and aviation to infrastructure, economic zones and real estate. It also encompasses water, power, sewerage and landscaping projects, all designed to keep pace with the emirate’s rapid growth and strengthen its capacity for future expansion over the coming years.
This pipeline of projects features flagship plans across multiple industries, including AED1.1 trillion allocated for real estate projects through 2030. In aviation, AED128 billion is allocated to Al Maktoum International, the world’s largest airport designed to handle up to 260 million passengers annually over the next decade. Additionally, AED328 billion is dedicated to expanding the Emirates and flydubai fleets, alongside AED18.7 billion for the new Emirates engineering and maintenance complex.
Planned projects also include over AED100 billion to develop Phase 2 of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), AED100 billion for road upgrades and the development of the Dubai Metro Blue and Gold lines, AED10 billion to expand the Dubai Exhibition Centre, AED80 billion for the Dubai Strategic Sewerage Tunnels system, AED30 billion for the “Tasreef” rainwater drainage project, AED151 billion for new power and water grid infrastructure and AED4 billion for the emirate’s Blue and Green Spaces Roadmap.
In line with Dubai’s urban and economic growth, the emirate’s housing sector plans include delivering approximately 350,000 residential units, in parallel with the expansion of transport and infrastructure networks.
A leadership ecosystem
The Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to establish a world-class leadership ecosystem that shapes the future and creates opportunities. It is also a key step toward institutionalising His Highness’s leadership and management philosophy, translating it into an operational framework to be adopted across all Dubai entities.
The Forum aims to embed leadership and management best practices and facilitate the exchange of ideas and insights, while discussing experiences that drive institutional performance. It showcases some of Dubai’s future initiatives and highlights its development vision and strategic direction.
The Forum seeks to put leaders across various Dubai entities and sectors at the centre of global changes, promote collective strategic thinking in decision-making and showcase innovative leadership models.
