Dubai is planning to store parts of its new airport underground, including fuel tanks, to protect against future drone or missile strikes, according to Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports. He said key infrastructure could be hardened and located below ground as part of the design process. "It's about likelihood [of an attack] versus consequence and the proper risk," he said. The multibillion-dollar expansion to accommodate 250mn passengers a year will not be scaled back due to the Iran war, Griffiths insisted. He said the shortest conversation he had with his chairman, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, was about whether the conflict changed long-term strategy, and the answer was "no."

Dubai's main airport, DXB, which was the largest international airport for a decade, fell outside the global top five earlier this year after strikes hit above-ground fuel tanks during the Iran conflict. The airport halted operations but restarted within an hour. Emirates grounded its fleet when the war began in late February but resumed services within days. Real-time communication with UAE authorities allowed the airport to anticipate strikes and shift passengers underground, with no fatalities recorded during the period.

Passenger numbers fell by a third in the first half of the year but are recovering, with Griffiths expecting Dubai to retake the title of world's largest international airport next year. Traffic dropped from 7.4mn in February to 2.5mn in March, then rose to 6.3mn in July.