Dubai International Airport (DXB) recorded its highest quarterly passenger traffic in its 65-year history in Q3 2025, welcoming 24.2 million passengers between July and September, a 1.9 per cent increase from the same period last year, Dubai Airports said on Tuesday.

The strong Q3 performance lifted total passenger traffic for the first nine months of 2025 to 70.1 million, up 2.1 per cen year-on-year. The airport’s rolling 12-month traffic at the end of September reached a record 93.8 million.

Aircraft movements also remained robust, with 115,000 flights recorded in Q3 and 336,000 flights across all categories from January to September, a 2.7 per cent increase year-on-year.

The average number of passengers per aircraft stood at 213.

Dubai Airports said it is investing in terminal enhancements to maintain operational efficiency and improve the passenger experience. Projects underway include CB Central, CB East, and CB West in Terminal 3, offering premium shopping, dining, and family-friendly spaces, as well as CD Central in Terminal 1 with updated dwell areas and improved access to retail.

Looking ahead, Dubai Airports is preparing Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) to eventually become the city’s main international gateway in the early 2030s.

The new airport is being designed as a “smart global aviation hub” with a focus on efficiency, connectivity, and sustainability.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “These record-breaking results reflect the continued strength of Dubai’s aviation and tourism sectors… The vision for DWC goes beyond capacity expansion – it represents the reimaging and evolution of the entire travel experience.”

Dubai International: DXB attracted travellers from these regions

DXB’s top markets for the first nine months were India (8.8 million passengers), Saudi Arabia (5.5 million), the UK (4.6 million), Pakistan (3.2 million), and the US (2.4 million).

The most popular city destinations included London, Riyadh, Mumbai, Jeddah, and New Delhi.

The airport also recorded strong outbound leisure travel, with Malaysia, Vietnam, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, and Denmark among the top destinations.

Baggage handling and passenger processing continued to perform efficiently.

DXB handled 63.8 million bags in the first nine months, up 6.2 per cent year-on-year, with 90 per cent delivered within 45 minutes.

Passport control and security screening remained rapid, with nearly all passengers cleared within target times.

The record performance highlights Dubai’s position as a global aviation and economic hub, where the airport continues to drive tourism, trade, and investment.

Cityscape Global 2025 continued its high-profile run in Riyadh this week, drawing international real estate leaders to explore the theme, The Future of Urban Living. Sponsored by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing in partnership with REGA, Vision 2030, and the Housing Program, and organized by Tahaluf, the event has solidified its status as a premier platform for global real estate investment, innovation, and planning discussions.

Foundation partners for the event include NHC, Diriyah Company, ROSHN Group, New Murabba, Qiddiya City, and Rua AlHaram AlMakki Co., reflecting the kingdom’s commitment to fostering collaboration between public and private stakeholders.

Read more-Cityscape Global 2025: Saudi unveils $43bn in deals as it showcases its urban future

Cityscape Global 2025’s opening days showcased major projects and the growing role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in reshaping Saudi Arabia’s real estate landscape. A high-level panel featuring Loaye Al Nahedh, CEO of REDF; Brian Higgins, founder and managing partner of King Street Capital Management; and Mohammed bin Saleh Albuty, CEO of NHC, explored how government-backed initiatives are driving investor confidence. The panel highlighted a sharp rise in global interest, particularly in sectors such as data centers and digital infrastructure.

John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, provided further insights in a fireside chat, emphasising the kingdom’s rapid progress in developing flagship destinations. “I set out to build a national champion for Saudi real estate, and I think we’ve achieved that,” Pagano said, noting that ten resorts are now operational, with seventeen more scheduled to open next year. Red Sea and Amaala, he added, are now the world’s largest destinations powered entirely by renewable energy, reflecting a commitment to sustainability in line with Vision 2030.

Masterplanning the future

Discussions on innovative urban design featured Oussama Kabani, group chief development officer at ROSHN Group, alongside Sheela Maini Søgaard, CEO of Bjarke Ingels Group. The pair highlighted how future masterplans must combine flexibility with affordability to attract investment and ensure long-term success. Kabani stressed the importance of cross-project collaboration, while Søgaard underscored that technological advances, such as AI-enabled design tools, must still be anchored in human values and youth engagement.

Parallel discussions explored how mega-events are accelerating urban transformation. Eng Ahmed Al Juhani, CEO of Rua Al Madinah; Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority; Alessandra Priante, President of the Italian National Tourism Board; and Gavin M. Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, examined the role of large-scale events in shaping city infrastructure and international perception.

Hamidaddin noted that Riyadh Season and AlUla Season 2024 host more events per week than Las Vegas, putting Saudi Arabia firmly on the global map. Priante emphasised the importance of long-term planning, citing Milan’s post-Expo 2015 legacy as a model.

$43bn in deals highlight economic growth

Deal-making momentum was a centerpiece of the event, with $43bn in deals revealed over the first two days. Highlights included:

• ROSHN Group announced a $293m development within the SEDRA community, encompassing over 700 residential units, alongside land sales in ALAROUS with sub-developers.
• Al Bilad Capital unveiled the $4.4bn Makkah Vision Fund for a 686,000 sqm site near Masjid al-Haram, as well as the Al Bilad Opportunities Fund II for a 229,000 sqm mixed-use site in Qurtubah.
• ALUPCO & AAG signed a $500m Saudi-Chinese agreement to establish aluminium plants supplying major real estate projects.
• SAB Invest launched two major mixed-use development funds totaling $764m, including an office-led high-rise on King Fahd Road in Sahafa and a multi-purpose mid-rise community along the Eastern Ring Road in Hamra.
• Eleven municipalities signed PPP contracts with Elm and TUV Rheiland to enhance urban sustainability, foster innovation ecosystems, and ensure high-quality civil works delivery.

These announcements underscore Saudi Arabia’s growing attractiveness for both domestic and international investors, reflecting the kingdom’s strategic approach to urban development and economic diversification.

Saudi mayors shape the urban vision

Cityscape Global 2025 also featured a data-driven discussion on heritage-led urban development and the role of private-sector participation in city planning. Moderated by Saud Alsulaimani, country head, KSA at JLL, the session brought together:

• Saleh Al-Turki, Mayor of Jeddah
• Musad bin Abdulaziz Al Dawood, Mayor of Holy Makkah
• Abdullah Mahdi Al-Jali, Mayor of Aseer Region

Al-Turki highlighted Jeddah’s dynamic growth, noting 29 completed investment projects spanning housing, engineering, and industry. “Our priority is creating a vibrant city with strong infrastructure and quality-of-life indicators, making Jeddah a global destination for investment,” he said.

Musad bin Abdulaziz Al Dawood emphasised Makkah’s ambitious urban agenda, citing over 100 investment opportunities launched in 2024. He stressed that restructured urban areas, logistics hubs, and labour housing zones are driving sustainable urban development.

Abdullah Mahdi Al Jali outlined Aseer Region’s tourism-driven urban identity, focusing on open, sustainable spaces designed to leverage sunlight and natural airflow. “We resolved 95 per cent of stalled projects and paved the way for new investments through unprecedented regulatory flexibility,” Al Jali noted, reinforcing Asir’s position as a growing investment hub.

Exclusive financing and attendee benefits

In addition to deals and discussions, Cityscape Global 2025 offered attendees unique opportunities for financing and incentives. Banks on-site provided mortgage rates below 3 per cent, while exclusive cash backs, discounts, and prizes worth over SAR11m enhanced the appeal of participating in the event.

Rachel Sturgess, SVP at Tahaluf, emphasised the transformative role of Cityscape Global. “Cityscape Global 2025 is driving thought leadership and facilitating conversations that shape the future of real estate. It is where transformative deals and strategic investments are made between Saudi Arabia and the global community to unlock new opportunities for growth,” she said.

Sturgess also highlighted the strategic impact of the inaugural ESTAAD, co-located with Cityscape Global. The event proved a valuable forum for discussions on sports infrastructure, stadiums, and Saudi Arabia’s preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2034.

As Cityscape Global 2025 progresses, the event continues to exemplify Saudi Arabia’s vision for urban transformation, blending sustainable development, mega-projects, and international collaboration. From high-value deals to discussions on heritage-led planning and future-ready masterplans, the event underscores the kingdom’s strategic positioning as a global real estate and investment hub.

With the combination of government initiatives, private-sector engagement, and international investment, the future of urban living in Saudi Arabia is taking shape rapidly, offering investors, planners, and developers a blueprint for sustainable growth and innovation.

Gulf Air signed an agreement on Tuesday with Boeing to buy at least 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, the carrier said.

The definitive purchase agreement to buy between 12 and 15 Dreamliner planes, signed at the Dubai Airshow, finalises an announcement in July that the carrier would buy 12 aircraft with an option for six more, Gulf Air said.

A White House official said at the time that the Gulf Air deal was valued at about $7bn, part of a broader pledge by Bahrain to invest $17bn in the USl

“The additional 787s will enable Gulf Air to enhance its premium long-haul offering and strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive regional market,” Gulf Air said in its statement.

Cloudflare has fully restored its services after an outage on Tuesday at the web-infrastructure company prevented thousands from accessing major internet platforms, including X and ChatGPT.

The company said the outage that began around 6.30am ET was caused by an automatically generated configuration file, designed to manage potential security threats.

The file grew too large and crashed the software system handling traffic for several Cloudflare services, the company, whose network handles around a fifth of web traffic, said.

Read more-From Dubai to Riyadh: Could AI be your next workplace colleague?

The company said it has started to investigate and has deployed a fix but some customers might still be impacted as it recovers service globally. Its shares were down 2.3 per cent in morning trading.

Cloudflare said there was “no evidence that this was the result of an attack or caused by malicious activity”. It runs one of the world’s largest networks that helps websites and apps load faster and stay online by protecting them from traffic surges and cyberattacks.

Last month, an outage at Amazon’s cloud service caused global turmoil as thousands of popular websites and apps, including Snapchat and Reddit, were inaccessible due to the disruption.

The latest outage at Cloudflare prevented thousands of users from accessing platforms such as Canva, X, Grindr and ChatGPT, prompting users to log outage reports with Downdetector.

X and ChatGPT-creator OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment. Reports about issues with Cloudflare dropped to about 2,800 by 10:20am ET from a peak of over 11,000, the outage-tracking tool showed.

Downdetector tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources. Since the numbers are based on user-submitted reports, the actual number of affected users may vary.

“We saw a spike in unusual traffic to one of Cloudflare’s services beginning at 11:20 UTC. That caused some traffic passing through Cloudflare’s network to experience errors,” the company said earlier in the day.

Airbus won a provisional order for 150 A321neo jets from flydubai on Tuesday worth $24bn, ousting Boeing as exclusive supplier to the fast-growing budget carrier and bouncing back from a muted start to the Dubai Airshow.

The deal on the second day of the show came after Reuters reported on Sunday that Europe’s Airbus was set to win a three-digit order from the government-owned Dubai carrier.

“It’s an exciting step for expanding and diversifying our fleet,” flydubai chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference.

The deal is worth $24bn and includes an option for another 100 aircraft, he said in a post on X, adding it will allow the carrier “to meet the increasing demand in our markets”.

Flydubai has previously bought jets from Boeing since it was founded in 2008 as sister airline to Dubai’s Emirates, prompting Airbus Commercial CEO Christian Scherer, sitting alongside Sheikh Ahmed on Tuesday, to joke: “What took you so long?”

Boeing has been negotiating to salvage part of the growth requirements of one of its most important 737 MAX operators, industry sources said earlier in the week.

Talks were continuing on Tuesday for a potential order for dozens of Boeing jets, people familiar with the matter said.

A deal is not guaranteed as negotiations remain fluid, but if confirmed, it would most likely still leave Airbus with the majority of the airline’s new business while roughly balancing the overall fleet, they said.

Boeing declined to comment. Flydubai was not immediately available for comment.

Flydubai currently operates some 95 Boeing 737s, including 69 MAX jets, and has more on order.

Tuesday’s announcement was the second commercial coup at the show after Boeing secured a surprise order on Monday for 65 more of its 777X jets from Emirates despite severe delays.

Emirates Airline President Tim Clark said on Tuesday that it was not yet ready to order the competing Airbus A350-1000, squashing speculation of a deal at the show.

Also on Tuesday, Etihad Airways ordered a mix of Airbus A350s and A330neos.