Major plans have been launched that will enable Dubai to handle a massive 190 million passengers per year by 2010. “This figure includes 70 million passengers passing through Dubai International Airport and 120 million through the new Jebel Ali Airport,” says Anita Mehra Homayoun, director of marketing and corporate communications at the DCA.

Consultancy bids are currently being evaluated for the first phase of a BD70 million ($186 million) Bahrain International Airport expansion programme and a contract award is expected shortly.

Marsa Alam Airport – constructed as a part of a $1.2 billion project to create a mega Red Sea resort area at Port Ghalib, Egypt – is currently being expanded to boost its handling capacity from 600 to 1,200 passengers per hour.

Having recently clinched a $150 million contract to supply a host of passenger moving equipment for the Dubai International Airport expansion, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is eyeing the upcoming mega projects to secure a market leadership position in the Middle East.

Having supplied access solutions for some of the leading airports in the world including the Heathrow (London) and Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong) airports, Northern Site Services (NSS) is looking to offer its expertise and systems to the region and has recently set up operations in Dubai, UAE.

Jotun Paints, one of the UAE’s largest manufacturers of paint and coatings, believes the massive investment in the airport construction sector has opened up many new avenues of business.