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With at least six parallel runways and as many concourses capable of handling more than 120 million passengers and more than 12 million tonnes of cargo per year, JXB, which is 40 kilometres from Dubai International Airport (DIA), is a long-term visionary project, designed to serve the emirate's passenger and cargo air transportation needs until 2050 and beyond.
"The longest journey starts with the first step and this is a giant leap ahead for Dubai's constantly growing aviation infrastructure," said Khalifa Al Zaffin, Director Engineering & Projects, Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai. "We had to start work on this project nearly ten years ahead of schedule due to the rapid growth of Dubai.
"The project's design is being finalised and the tendering process has started for a project which has been conceived in order to ensure that Dubai will not be hampered by capacity constraints.
"No airport has ever been built to this scale - or been served with infrastructure of this magnitutde and sophistication. It will accommodate every aircraft type yet conceived."
JXB and JAAC will focus on servicing the aviation industry and related businesss and is destined to become Dubai's next major economic activity catalyst and a major commercial, trade and logistics hub for the Middle East and the entire region.
When completed, this mixed-use urban environment, will comprise aviation, logistics, commercial, residential, educational, recreational, technology and entertainment components.
At the core of JAAC, and scheduled to be the project's first component to launch operations at the end of 2007, is Dubai Logistics City (DLC), a free zone for businesses which require, or provide, logistics and multi-modal transport services to the GCC, wider Middle East, India, Africa, South East Europe and the CIS - a market of more than 2 billion consumers.
DLC's unique location, adjacent to JXB and linked via a dedicated, customs bonded road network with Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone (JAFZA) - one of the world's biggest container ports - make the world's first integrated logistics and multi-modal transport platform.
Grading work for the first 4.5 kilometre runway is already advanced and, when complete, it will cater for a significant portion of air cargo transported through Dubai.
The 25 square kilometre development will also feature state-of-the-art office buildings, and will provide land plots for dedicated industrial businesses, trading companies, distributors, logistics service providers and forwarders, shared facilities, such as warehouses and modern air-side cargo handling facilities.
"DLC's wide and competitive offering will focus on delivering speed, efficiency and economy so our customers, in turn, can pass these values on to their own clientele," said Michael Proffitt, CEO, DLC. "We will provide a full spectrum of services developed from industry input and the in-depth logistics experience of the DLC team.
"This unique platform will be another of Dubai's outstanding business propositions and will strengthen the emirate's claim as the logistics hub for the greater region."
DLC is aimed at boosting business opportunities and developing services and facilities for its customer base that address the needs of leading global, regional and local industrial businesses, trading companies and logistics service providers who need multi-modal transportation. These will include airlines, integrators, multi-national, regional and local forwarders, as well as third party logistics service providers. It will also target key high-end logistics users including multi-national companies within the automotive, I.T., pharmaceutical, electronics and communication industries as well as relief and aid NGOs and service companies.
Trade and industry customers can opt to build their own facilities on serviced sites with long-term leases, to work with DLC who will provide a design and build facility or alternatively, companies can outsource operations to contract logistics service providers that provide both services and facilities.
To date, over 1.4 million square metres of leased land in phase one has been reserved by some 35 companies who will be able to begin construction on their individual premises in Q2 2006.
"Reservations have come from a balanced mix of international and regional companies," said Proffitt. "They come largely from freight forwarders and third party logistics suppliers offering warehousing and distribution services. The profile of this customer base was expected as the outsourcing of logistics requirements is a growing trend throughout this region."
Planning for an integrated road and rail transportation network to support DLC and the rest of Jebel Ali Airport City is under way. Official transportation plans include the development of a 160 kilometres network of main roads within Jebel Ali Airport City to support public traffic and a unique system dedicated to the specific needs of DLC and JXB measuring a total of 90kms.
Other Jebel Ali Airport City developments include Commercial City, Aviation City, Residential City, a Golf Resort, a Science and Technology Park and Exhibition City.
The financial and business heart of JAAC, Commercial City, will be an iconic addition to Dubai's growing portfolio of signature developments, with a skyline of up to 850 towers ranging from 50 to 300 metres in height.
Aviation City has been earmarked to become the region's future regional headquarters for leading airline industry suppliers, manufacturers and maintenance specialists.
Residential City will feature a variety of accommodation types, ranging from luxury estates and spacious apartments to affordable developments and airport staff housing.
It will also have self-sustaining commercial and community facilities to serve a significant proportion of the 750,000 people expected to live and work in JAAC.
The adjoining Golf Resort, featuring the Middle East's biggest golf course, will also have high rise residential towers and fairway view villa clusters.
The hi-tech and industrial sectors will be served by the Science and Technology Park.
And the Dubai air show will also move to JAAC's Exhibition City, which will be ready to host the event's 11th edition in 2009. The 3 million square foot complex will be completed in three phases by 2020 and will be the world's largest exhibition venue with 19 exhibition halls and a first phase parking space for 20,000 cars. The facility will eventually house hotels, restaurants and residential apartments.
Posted by Anne-Birte Stensgaard, Senior News Editor
