Larsen & Toubro Wins Major Dubai Airport Rail Contract

A consortium led by Larsen & Toubro and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured a major contract to design and build the Automated People Mover (APM) system for Phase 1 of the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion in Dubai. The project is part of a $35-billion effort to transform the site into the world's largest airport, with an ultimate capacity of 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight annually.

The contract value was initially reported between Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 2,500 crore, though later updates placed the valuation between Rs 2,500 crore and Rs 5,000 crore. The system will span approximately 31 miles, featuring nine stations and 165 automated vehicles. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and its subsidiary, MHI Mobility Engineering Services, will lead the design, procurement, and testing of vehicles and signaling. Larsen & Toubro will manage on-site construction and the integration of critical infrastructure, including guideways, traction substations, power distribution, and telecommunications.

Awarded by the Dubai Aviation City Corporation and implemented via Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects Corporation, the APM is scheduled for completion in December 2031. This infrastructure is central to the strategy of replacing Dubai International Airport as the primary aviation hub by 2032. Larsen & Toubro noted that the project "exemplifies the scale and complexity of integrated APM Rail Systems."