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Research Note / Note de recherche
Dubai’s Geographic Location and Its Advantages
for the Air Transportation Industry
Jamal M. al-Mehairi
Independent Scholar, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
jamal.almehairi@gmail.com
In recent years, air transport in Dubai has shown huge growth in cargo volumes,
passenger numbers, and air routes—as well as the expansion of Dubai International
Airport and the new Al-Maktoum Airport—in part because of Dubai’s location in
contrast to other Gulf States in terms of transportation facilities and economic activ-
ities. The three main objectives of this article are, first, to demonstrate the impor-
tance and clarify the role of Dubai’s geographic location in developing its
air-transport sector; second, to illustrate the types of development related to the
location of Dubai over time; and, third, by means of regression analysis, to support
the forecasting and growth of passengers through Dubai airport based on data from
2007 through 2015.
Keywords: geographic location, air transportation, open skies policy, Dubai,
airport, cargo, regression analysis
Introduction
People’s mobility is controlled by many spatial factors (Cresswell 2011),
the most important of which is geographic location. Dubai, an emirate
located on the south-east coast of the Arabian Gulf, has a long history of
trade and pearl diving in the Arabian Peninsula. Since the foundation of
the United Arab Emirates in 1971, the region has experienced enormous
geographic changes, which have affected many fields and had an impact
on life as a whole. The air transport system has been significantly influ-
enced by strategic factors related to the geographic location of Dubai.
Recently, many well-known destination cities around the world—
including Amsterdam, Memphis, and Dubai—have attempted to change
their functional structure so as to be viewed as airport cities, or
“aerotropolises” (Kasarda and Lindsay 2012).
In contrast to the situation several decades ago, Dubai has diversified
away from oil production as a major source of income, relying instead on
other innovative, viable, and sustainable sources of income. As a
commercial city with a strong focus on international air transport, Dubai
has sought to be the world-preferred centre for air travel. The Dubai
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016) 352-367
© 2016 Geo Publishing, Toronto Canada
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 353
Emirate has established a strong relationship with many Eastern and
Western countries in terms of the movement of passengers, cargo, and
aircraft regionally and globally. In 2015, Dubai International Airport
recorded 78 million passengers, a 10.7 % increase over 2014 (Dubai
Statistics Centre 2016).
The concept of strategic location is not always a perfect explanation
for development, because the significance of a place is more strongly
affected by the role of human factors in that place (Healy and Ilbery
1990). In this context, the Arabian Gulf countries are particularly
concerned about what measures must be taken by the airport and avia-
tion industry in the post-oil era.
For the past 20 years, Dubai has witnessed huge developments in its
air services industry. Such developments have led to strategic changes in
the urban infrastructure of the surrounding cities and their operations.
Many believe that such fast and dramatic growth in air transport systems
has significantly upgraded the role of Dubai as a location of choice.
The main objectives of this paper, therefore, are (1) to discusses the
importance of Dubai’s geographic location in developing the air trans-
port sector and to better understand the effects of this spatial factor on
Dubai’s development; and (2) to clarify the type of development that has
increased Dubai’s importance in terms of regional and global movement.
Historical Background
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the dominance of sea power played a
significant role in changing the geography of countries in all parts of the
world and especially in the Arabian Peninsula, where Portugal, Great
Britain, and other European countries were the dominant powers. These
powers played a role in shaping the commercial and political features of
the area and helped enforce security, facilitating trade to the east.
Before this time, Dubai was a small fishing village (Heard-Bey 1996)
that relied on sea transport as a source of general trade, fishing, and pearl
trade, all of which, over time, helped to develop the city and the
surrounding areas. Most transportation was in small boats, which moved
people and goods in the shallow, sandy Dubai Creek and loaded cargo
onto commercial ships off the Dubai coast.
Commercial ships served India, the east coast of Africa, and north of
the Gulf by regular routes on which a variety of cargo and items such as
spices, wood, and other materials were transported. A major function of
the regional seaport was to re-export cargo to other small cities along the
Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Air transport in Dubai began in 1937 when the first “flying boats”
(fixed-wing seaplanes or float planes) landed on Dubai Creek, a transit
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354 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
point for Imperial Airways to connect with their bases in India (Fenelon
1973). The British presence in the Gulf significantly facilitated the growth
of the transport sector there, thanks to journeys by British citizens to
India and South Asia. The Royal Air Route connected England and
India. This integration influenced the political environment of the
Arabian Gulf, and especially that of the “Trucial states,” which later
became the United Arab Emirates.
Several locations within the Trucial states were candidates to become
air-transport hubs, with airstrips and refuelling stations for British
aircraft. Initially, attention focused on the western coast, which was
considered a more convenient landing venue, but Dubai’s significance as
a strategic location, and particularly its convenience, could not be
ignored. In addition, the ruler of Dubai in the 1930s played a crucial role
in realizing the importance of air services for the city’s image and, hence,
its effect in attracting more trade and commercial activities to the region
(Burchall 1933). The government’s obvious willingness could be seen as a
first step towards the development of air transport in Dubai.
The “Open Skies” Policy
On 22 July 1937, Captain Tom Hickinbotham, British political agent in
the Trucial States, signed the Dubai Commercial Air Agreement. This
agreement triggered the “Open Skies” policy of Dubai, which many
consider to have paved the way for the creation of the world’s third
largest passenger hub in just 75 years (Ramzan 2012). It is probable that
the nature of the people living in the area at the time and their enthusiasm
for their would-be role in the future played an important role in shaping
that future. Historically, Dubai has been keen to promote its positive
growth in the transport world, especially maritime transport, by making
use of its geographic location (Jacobs and Hall 2007). The vision of the
government of the 1930s focused on trade and commercial activities as its
major functions to promote the city, with the goal of encouraging as
many merchants and companies as possible from other nearby regions to
consider Dubai as their base.
The city of Dubai was transformed, becoming known as the “Port
City” and a centre of major trade routes linking regional ports in the
Gulf. Ultimately, the city built its strategic hub as an international desti-
nation of choice. This international image depended heavily on re-export
trade; Dubai became a major hub of such operations and services in the
Middle East and beyond.
Dubai’s position as a major port city in the Gulf and, ultimately, the
largest port in the world was aided by many factors in addition to its
geographic location. Ramos (2010) cites several factors that led to the emer-
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 355
gence of Dubai as a commercial and trade centre in the Gulf; Pacione (2005)
notes that its regional economic importance was reinforced as early as 1904,
when steamships went into service between Dubai and Bombay.
Air Transport in the Dubai Emirate
Another great advantage of Dubai’s location is the Dubai Creek, a
natural waterway bypass that penetrates the land for approximately
13km, which has enhanced the attractiveness of Dubai and emphasized
the importance of both sea and air transport for businesses. Dubai Creek
and its port facilities, fuel stations, warehousing, and shipping activity
have facilitated Dubai’s recognition as an “international” base for people
around the world. The Creek became Dubai’s first “airport” when the
first Imperial Airways flying boats landed and departed from it.
In the Gulf, air transportation is a major means both of movement
and of the development of commercial networks, thanks to the existence
of major hubs for both passengers and cargo, which have facilitated effec-
tive and efficient “instant” links from Europe to Australia and New
Zealand through Dubai. However, the current challenges for Dubai (and
the U.A.E.’s economic vision) are related to enhancing trade with new
markets in Asia (i.e., China, Korea, and Japan) to make Dubai the re-
export centre for goods headed to other destinations.
Rapid growth in the number of passengers, aircraft, and cargo using
both national and international carriers has demonstrated the impor-
tance of Dubai’s geographic location, in addition to other factors such as
the “open skies” policy initiated in the early 20th century. The area’s
changing spatial development during the 20th century led to greater
spatial integration and changed the mobility of operations thanks to
freight activities through the airport, the city, and beyond. Thierstein and
Schein (2008) note the importance of the emergence of cities on the
Arabian Peninsula, including Dubai, and the role of location and its
changes over time.
This section will shed light on the growth of aircraft, passenger, and
cargo volumes and the resulting rapid growth of Dubai International
Airport. Better understanding these determinants will bring us closer to
understanding the significance of the air-transport system and its effect
on the strategic significance of Dubai’s location.
In 2009, Ishutkina and Hansman noted that
the government of Dubai invested in the supporting infrastructure and built the
Dubai International Financial Centre. This Centre is a financial free zone which
provides the necessary legal, business and physical infrastructure to encourage
foreign direct investment and business development enabled by the business
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356 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
passenger flows going through the nearby Dubai International Airport
(Ishutkina and Hansman 2009, 6–7).
In 2012, the development of the aviation sector increased Dubai’s
gross domestic product (GDP) by 28 % (Dubai Airports 2011, 17);
economic and geographic factors worked together synergistically to
create a new era of air transportation in Dubai. The government has
invested heavily in further developing Dubai’s infrastructure since
Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020. The degree of connectivity
between Dubai and the rest of the world has become a significant point of
attention for Dubai, and further development of the city’s air transport
system has become more significant as a result. It is significant that
approximately two-thirds of the world’s population live within eight
hours’ flying time of Dubai—including the populations of both India and
China, two strong economies in the modern world.
Traditionally, air transport as an indicator of development has been
assessed by variables such as geographic location, the importance of
human factors, and the efficiency of the appropriate planning and devel-
opment of urban areas. There is evidence suggesting that location factors
play a significant role in aviation development. For example, a report
related to Dubai Airport suggests that
Dubai’s aviation sector has benefited from the Emirate’s strategic location
within eight hours flight of most major destinations and two-thirds of the
world’s population. Dubai’s location is a principal attraction. However,
tourism, trade and commerce in Dubai depend on Dubai’s aviation sector, and
clear synergies have developed as the aviation sector’s success has assisted the
growth of other key sectors which in turn have generated additional demand for
air transport services (Oxford Economics 2011).
Airport Activities in Dubai
The development of air services in Dubai was influenced by many factors,
leading in 1959 to the establishment of the first airport by the ruler of
Dubai, at the request of Dubai merchants. It was later suggested that the
development of the airport was key to the development of facilities and
infrastructure in the surrounding areas of Dubai (Wilson and Thiedeman
2007, 150). Dubai’s economic functions have relied more heavily on the
development of aircraft movements, and passenger and cargo volumes
have grown since the airport commenced operations. Recent develop-
ments at Dubai Airport have occurred in several stages.
The political decision of Dubai’s former ruler to significantly
enhance and develop the city’s economic infrastructure envisioned the
location of the airport as a major means to achieve the desired results, and
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Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 357
therefore prioritized the airport’s development. Despite the decision by
British officials in 1959 to build the airport in Jebel Ali (35km from the
Dubai city centre), Sheikh Rashid Ben Saeed Al-Maktoum insisted on
locating it only 5km from the city centre, closer to daily economic activ-
ities and merchants.
The factors most strongly influencing the location of airports are
technical, physical, and economic (Sealy 1968). All of these factors are
important with respect to Dubai Airport, but economic factors (prox-
imity to the city centre) are considered most important. One of the main
goals of the Dubai government is to promote this sector for future devel-
opment in the region. The airport is key to this planned growth, particu-
larly in Dubai, because of the magnitude of the forecasted international
movements within the city. The development of Dubai Airport is believed
to have had a huge impact on the development of the U.A.E. as a whole.
From a financial point of view, Emirates Airlines’ annual revenue
indicates that its most profitable air routes are those from East Asia and
Australia to Europe, which routes link major destinations throughout the
Gulf region.
As a result of pressures on Dubai Airport (DXB), the government of
Dubai decided to build a new airport in the Jebel Ali area. The new Al-
Maktoum Airport (DWC), located in Dubai World Central—a multi-
purpose district established by law in 2006 which includes industrial,
commercial, and residential areas, the new airport, and the land slated for
Expo2020—is considered to be the airport of the future. Its location is
close to Jebel Ali seaport and to the new urban expansion, including the
residential areas around Jebel Ali. Construction in the area began in 2008
and is expected to be completed by 2020.
The geography of DWC has more practical features (e.g., proximity
to the Jebel Ali seaport) and a large land base. The location is more
attractive than that of DXB and is central to both U.A.E. cities and Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The new airport’s planned
capacity is more than 160million passengers and 12million tons of cargo
per year (Wilson and Thiedeman 2007, 392).
Aircraft and Air Routes
The mobility of people and modes of transport interact in a variety of
ways (Schafer and Victor 2000). The capacity of a country’s airports and
the growth of its economy generally reflect the increase in air-traffic
movement (Stratford 1974). Early movements of the people of Dubai
depended largely on the commercial opportunities available in the Dubai
region; of course, the government played a major role in promoting
means to enhance movements of aircraft, passengers, and cargo.
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
358 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
The Dubai government’s policy depended on encouraging people to
use air transport. This was the focus even early on, when airlines used the
Dubai Creek as a main route to destinations such as London, Beirut,
Karachi, Bombay, and Australia.
Aircraft as a mode of transport in the Gulf region have created
substantial changes in traditional means of transport, especially the
camel, once a main mode of trade and people movement across the
Arabian Peninsula and beyond. During the early era of aviation, the
number of road vehicles was limited by the region’s limited road trans-
portation infrastructure.
In the first stages of Dubai’s aviation era, many international airlines
were keen to establish a foothold at Dubai Airport, thanks to strong spec-
ulation and support from commercial businesses in Dubai as well as to its
location. The resulting decision to expand the airport required increasing
attention to infrastructure development, including road links, ware-
houses, and cargo offices.
Table 1 shows the growth in
the number of Emirates Airlines
aircraft owned from 2006 to
2016. This growth is a further
indication of global demand for
air transport; it is also related to
Dubai’s significant location.
Notably, the greatest percentage
increase in the number of aircraft
occurred in 2011/12 (42.6%).
As these numbers indicate,
Emirates Airlines could further
expand its routes globally even
without creating alliances with
other airlines, allowing the
airline to reach all six continents. Most Emirates aircraft are equipped
with modern technology that could help further speed up global mobility
through Dubai and allow the city to become a major hub. Notably,
Emirates Airlines’ current fleet includes 85 Airbus A380 aircraft, which
are capable of transporting 500 passengers and can travel for more than
17 hours without refuelling. Such means of transport could bring more
tourists to Dubai from distant destinations such as the Americas, Asia,
and Australia.
Figure 1 shows the growth of aircraft movement in Dubai as a result
of the international mobility of people using the airport to visit Dubai or
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
TABLE 1
Number of Emirates Airlines aircraft, 2006–16
Year No. of aircraft % increase
2006/7 96 —
2007/8 109 13.50
2008/9 127 16.50
2009/10 142 11.80
2010/11 148 4.22
2011/12 169 14.10
2012/13 197 16.50
2013/14 217 10.15
2014/15 231 6.45
2015/16 251 8.65
Source: The Emirates Group, annual reports
2006–2016.
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 359
for transit purposes. Even during the 1990–91 Gulf War, aircraft move-
ment declined only slightly, by about 2.4%, from the year before—and
recovered a year later, with an increase of more than 16.8%.
These numbers are further indications of the importance of Dubai’s
strategic location for the regional and international markets; the location
of Dubai represents a safe route far from other unstable regions in the
world. In 2008, the global financial crisis affected most of the world’s
markets, and the aircraft industry was among those sectors most affected;
the number of aircraft in Dubai dropped 3.7% in that year, but increased
by 9.6% in 2010—a further indication of the high demand created by
passengers travelling through Dubai Airport, especially those using
national airlines such as Emirates and Fly Dubai.
FIGURE 1
The growth of aircraft movement in Dubai Airport, 1977–2013
Source: Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (2016).
Dubai’s two international airports are recognized as the busiest air
transport hub in the Middle East region, ranking first in both passenger
and cargo traffic in 2011 (Alkaabi 2014). Thanks to the creation of the
national “Emirates” carrier in Dubai, the airport has grown rapidly and
continuously, attracting more world airlines. Such changes have caused
many airports, including Dubai Airport, to compete with other regional
carriers. The Dubai government has played a role in increasing the
importance of the location and the significance of all services, strength-
ening the city as a hub and leading to the creation of more routes
(O’Connell 2011).
Dubai has grown significantly in recent years. The beginning of the
1980s is considered the beginning of the construction of the U.A.E., when
many international companies moved to Dubai from elsewhere and
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
360 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
many large projects were undertaken in the region, especially in the
U.A.E. Another factor that should be mentioned is the government’s
policy to encourage the tourism industry, which is currently a vital source
of income for the country and has allowed Dubai to end its reliance on oil
production as the main source of income. The tourism industry has
received significant attention and priority in Dubai’s strategic plans.
Table 2 shows the number of tourists arriving in Dubai through Dubai
International Airport in 2015, a very high percentage of whom were inter-
national visitors.
As Table 2 shows, two regions
account for the largest shares of
visitors: GCC countries (23%)
and Western Europe (21 %).
The growth of air routes to and
from Dubai Airport reflects the
city’s global nature. Air routes
have always expanded to cover
world destinations; all destina-
tions served by Emirates Air-
lines were determined for
commercial (cargo, business
travel) and/or tourism purposes.
As the composition of its fleet
(weighted towards large long-
range aircraft) indicates, Emirates Airlines is increasingly concentrating its
attention on meeting the demand for long-haul traffic, and thus is helping
to build Dubai’s international image as a strategic location in the world.
The growth rate of Emirates Airlines demonstrates the company’s
attention to owning and developing long-haul aircraft; other Gulf
carriers have followed the same strategy. Emirates exploited opportuni-
ties to upgrade its services and its share of seats in order to be considered
a significant global hub (Grimme 2011). The strong expansion of
Emirates was achieved by buying large new aircraft to satisfy the needs of
long-haul passengers from other countries.
Development of Passenger Traffic
The formation of the U.A.E. in 1971 was a turning point for the Arabian
Gulf region. The development of this new state required large-scale
government projects, and air transport was one of the major targets of
this development. Dubai’s 1937 “open skies” policy represented the first
step toward its later growth in air passenger movement and in the air-
transport system.
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
TABLE 2
International tourists to Dubai, 2015
Source location % of total
GCC 23
Western Europe 21
South Asia 16
MENA 12
North Asia and South-East Asia 8
Americas 7
Russia, CIS, Eastern Europe 5
Africa 5
Australasia 3
Source: Government of Dubai, Department
of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, 2016.
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 361
Figure 2 illustrates the continuous increase in air passenger volume
through Dubai International Airport, especially after 1990; passenger
numbers are forecasted to reach 75million in 2020. This increase could
also be a result of the continuous development of commercial activities—
such as imports, exports, and re-exports—in the trade sectors. On the
other hand, international companies have moved their headquarters to
Dubai, leading to population increases in the city (Hanssens et al. 2011).
Dubai’s location distinguishes it as a transit-point airport for global
passengers: 70% of the traffic is using Dubai International Airport to
access other parts of the world.
FIGURE 2
Passenger movement through Dubai Airport, 1977–2015
Source: Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (2016).
The increase in international traffic through Dubai can be attributed
in part to investments in the air transport sector. In turn, the development
of Dubai Airport (DXB) and of the new airport (DWC) will also
contribute to the U.A.E. economy by creating more than 250000 jobs. As
mentioned above, the air transport sector makes a significant contribu-
tion to the GDP of the Dubai Emirate (28% in 2012; Dubai Airports
2011). The aviation industry has shown progress in the U.A.E. overall,
and in Dubai in particular, as a result of the development of aviation-
related businesses such as travel agents, cargo companies, and air main-
tenance companies.
Table 3 shows the increase in the population of Dubai from 2007
through 2015 and the increasing movement of air passengers through
Dubai International Airport over the same period. Independent of the
number of samples obtained, regression analysis using SPSS software was
conducted to create forecasts of air passenger numbers, using the popula-
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
362 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
tion as a main variable. The anal-
ysis has two independent vari-
ables (year and population), with
air passenger numbers as the
dependent variable. The results,
shown in Table 4, reveal that
population is a significant
predictor of the number of
passengers (the model produces
an adjusted R2of 0.917,
t=7.410, p<0.001).
Year is also a significant
predictor (adjusted R2=0.919).
The model shows that as the
years progress, the number of
passengers also increases
(t=7.509, p<0.001).
Dubai is home to people of more than 200 nationalities. This diver-
sity has presented significant challenges and complexity in terms of the
services needed by the people of Dubai. However, efforts to make Dubai
a global city, where all people can visit,
work, and live, have helped to develop the
air transport sector and increased size and
variety of the tourist base in Dubai. This
expansion is reflected in the numbers of
aircraft owned by Emirates Airlines and
other international airliners passing
through Dubai.
Development of Cargo Services in Dubai
Economic activity always depends on the availability of convenient
modes of transportation to move commodities from producers to
consumers quickly, cost-effectively, and safely. The Dubai government’s
policies are aimed at facilitating the movement of goods to various desti-
nations around Dubai. Dubai’s location has played a major role in
accomplishing these objectives, thanks to its world-class ports relative to
other ports in the region.
Expansion of cargo transportation in Dubai has been highly depen-
dent on the strategic plans of the government, which focused on the
geographic location of Dubai as a driver and enabler of most of its poli-
cies in relation to the growing Europe–Asia air cargo distribution
networks (Senguttuvan 2006).
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
TABLE 3
Growth in population and airline passenger
numbers, Dubai, 2007–15
Years Population No. of Passengers
2007 1529792 34348110
2008 1645973 37441440
2009 1770978 49414354
2010 1905476 47180628
2011 2003170 50977960
2012 2105845 57684550
2013 2213845 66496730
2014 2327350 70475471
2015 2446675 78014828
Source: Dubai Statistics Centre (2016);
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (2016).
TABLE 4
Multiple regression results of
independent variables
Type Population Years
R2
0.917 0.919
t-statistic 7.410 7.509
Level of
significance 0.001 0.001
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 363
In general, industrial producers, regardless of their geographic loca-
tion, have the goal of delivering their products to the consumer on time.
Air transport is used more frequently for items of higher cost and lower
weight (e.g., jewellery, fruit, certain machine parts). The levels of
commercial re-export activity in the Dubai market have created a kind of
competition between the cargo companies to attract more consumers in
the re-export business, in which Dubai is recognized both in the region
and globally.
Figure 3 shows the movement of cargo through Dubai airport
between 1977 and 2015. Many factors influenced the growth that
began in the early 1990s: first, the development of the airport’s cargo
infrastructure, including the establishment of a “cargo village” to serve
the demands of cargo movement; second, the airport’s success in
attracting more cargo airlines to operate out of DWC; and, finally,
Emirates Airlines’ entry into the cargo services sector, achieved by
adding cargo-type aircraft to its large fleet of commercial passenger
aircraft.
FIGURE 3
Cargo movement through Dubai Airport, 1977–2015
Source: Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (2016).
These factors have interacted to create a solid cargo infrastructure,
airport, and market in Dubai. Cargo movement received significant
government attention in 1980, when the Dubai government made sound
decisions to support the full right of all countries to move cargo through
Dubai airports (Kasarda and Sullivan 2006).
The increase in cargo volume shown in Figure 3 is a clear indication
of Dubai’s strong economic expansion, beginning in the 1990s and
continuing into recent years, becoming more active with other parts of
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
364 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
the U.A.E. and the GCC. Emirates Airlines has added more cargo
aircraft to its service, in addition to using the cargo village in the airport.
The Emirates sky cargo fleet currently consists of 12 aircraft—a small
total relative to other global air cargo fleets, but the company is planning
to expand, not only by increasing cargo handling by its cargo fleet but
also by using Emirates passenger aircraft to carry some cargo containers
and by attracting other companies to use Dubai airports for their cargo
activities.
Markets in Asia depend on efficient transportation systems, and
Middle Eastern countries are their main targets of production. In turn,
the Middle East region needs these materials for the development of its
infrastructure.
FIGURE 4
The New Silk Road and the role of Emirates Airlines between South Korea and Dubai
Source: Open Sky: The International and government affairs journal of Emirates 18
(2014), 9. http://content.emirates.com/downloads/ek/pdfs/open_sky/
OpenSky_18_Final_9Feb.pdf.
As an example, Figure 4 shows the role played by Emirates Airlines
in the movement of cargo between production centres in South Korea
and consumption areas. South Korea, as a strong global industrial
region, encourages continuous trade relationships with Dubai and the
region, and Emirates has become involved in the expansion of trade
between South Korea and GCC countries. Between 2005 and 2012, the
bilateral trade increased by 214%, with an annual growth rate of 18%.
The types of commodities transported were of a more specialized nature,
and all were transported via Dubai.
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
Dubai’s Location & its Advantages for Transportation Industry 365
With the continued improvement in the transport sectors in U.A.E.,
and especially in Dubai, an intermodal transport system has emerged
since 1995, thanks to the presence of a variety of transport modes and an
increase in cargo activities through Dubai seaports and airports. As a
result, cargo containers shipped from South Asia to Europe now use
intermodal transport facilities, which expedite transfers from ships to
aircraft and airports.
Conclusions
This article has illustrated the importance of the development of the air
transport sector in Dubai in terms of location factors, which represent the
integration of air transport, the human factor, and sound strategy. Dubai
is always keen to leverage its unique geographic location to develop
urban infrastructure and the type of services that address needs and logis-
tics. Dubai builds its image by strengthening global trade and receiving
more opportunities in different fields by taking advantage of the syner-
gistic effects of a variety of services offered by both air and sea transport
systems. The aviation industry has built a huge development base related
to air transport in Dubai within a short period, and makes a significant
contribution to the GDP of Dubai.
The location of Dubai is a major enabler of the development of its air
transport system in terms of air passengers, aircraft, and cargo move-
ment. In addition to the geographic nature of Dubai, the role of human
factors cannot be ignored. Decisions made on the basis of human factors
have had direct effects on the development of the integration of air trans-
port with the location of Dubai.
The rapid growth of the air transport system in Dubai as a result
of the city’s geographic location leads us to several conclusions: First,
the establishment of a national carrier (Emirates Airlines) has
promoted Dubai in many ways. Together with its partner airlines,
Emirates has created an international city with more than 220 destina-
tions in multicultural nations, all within a relatively short time.
Second, since the early 1980s an increasing number of commercial
companies and organizations have moved to Dubai to establish their
headquarters, and consequently make use of both seaports and
airports. Third, rapid urban expansion as created many new suburban
areas around the old city of Dubai, thanks to the arrival of new popu-
lations with specific living needs. One consequence is the construction
of a new international airport (DWC). Finally, all these features have
influenced the location of Dubai in different ways. A new intermodal
transport system has emerged as a result of the integration between sea
and air transport systems.
The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 19, no 3-4 (2016)
366 Jamal M. al-Mehairi
Future research should examine several negative issues that have
arisen in Dubai in recent years with respect to the geographies of the
airport and other service facilities. The capacity for aircraft traffic will be
a major problem, and the location of Dubai Airport in what is now the
middle of the city could be a source of unwanted noise and air pollution,
potentially leading to health and other concerns for residents living near
the airport. It should also be noted that the huge development of air
transport systems has indirectly played a role in creating traffic challenges
on roads, in the form of increased congestion due to the airport’s oper-
ating 24 hours a day. However, it must be stressed that, from a
geographic point of view, air transport in Dubai development plans
should be a significant priority for the growth of Dubai and of the U.A.E.
in general.
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