Dubai needs to press ahead with the development of Dubai World Central (DWC), the massive urban aviation community being built in Jebel Ali, just 40 kilometres from Dubai city centre, if the emirate is to maintain its billing as the region's commerce and business capital, according to Khalifa Al Zaffin, Director of Projects and Engineering, Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai.

'The over 110 operating airlines which facilitate the emirate's annual travel growth - nearly 30 million for 2006 - will be amazed by the level of possibilities that Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB) offers,' said Al Zaffin.

'JXB will have the capacity for 120 million passengers and be able to handle 12 million tonnes of cargo per year when completed. This project is paramount in the continued evolution of the emirate.

'At DXB when current projects are completed, we will have no more space to build - we must go to Jebel Ali. This is not ambition; this is fact. With DWC and its components we have created verticals to generate business and finance which will be the fiscal lifeblood of the project,' Al Zaffin continued.

Al Zaffin also spoke of the emirate's desire to be the cargo capital of the Middle East and the wider region. With current construction of new concourses and terminals set to raise DXB's annual cargo capacity to five million tonnes, Al Zaffin reiterated the case for JXB if this figure is to be surpassed.

'We want to develop the air cargo industry in this part of the world - there are two billion potential consumers at our doorstep and we want Dubai World Central to service them,' he said.

Al Zaffin highlighted JXB's extensive offering, which includes six runways, six concourses, two terminals - one reserved exclusively for Emirates - an Executive Jet Terminal, a Royal Terminal, two main entrances and access to the facility via the Dubai Metro.

'The level of interest we are receiving concerning the airport and all of DWC's components is astounding even us. Dubai Logistics City, JXB, Enterprise Park, Commercial City, Golf Resort and Residential City - we can't build fast enough.'