L&T, Mitsubishi Heavy Join Hands For Dubai’s Massive Al Maktoum Airport Project

Larsen & Toubro (L&T), in partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has secured a large order to design and build the Automated People Mover (APM) system for Phase 1 of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, according to a company statement.

The project is being developed by Dubai Aviation City Corporation and implemented through Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects. The airport is part of a multi-phase expansion programme and, once fully developed, is planned to handle 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight annually.

The consortium’s contract covers the turnkey delivery of the APM system, including design, construction, equipment supply, testing, commissioning and operational readiness of the related infrastructure and systems.

What L&T Will Build

Under the design-and-build contract, L&T will handle the design, procurement, delivery and integration of several key components of the APM system.

These include guideways, DC traction substations, power distribution systems, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure, onboard communication systems, platform screen doors and depot equipment.

L&T Executive Vice President and Head of Transportation Infrastructure Ramkumar S said the project involves complex execution requirements and multiple system interfaces.

“With challenging execution milestones, advanced technologies and multiple system interfaces including guideway, power supply, state-of-the-art telecom, platform screen doors and depot equipment, this project exemplifies the scale and complexity of integrated APM Rail Systems that L&T is uniquely positioned to deliver,” he said.

L&T Expands Rail Infrastructure Footprint

The latest order adds to L&T’s presence in integrated railway and metro projects. The company currently has projects across the Mumbai Metro, Dhaka Metro and Jakarta MRT networks.

L&T said its transportation business provides end-to-end capabilities covering design, engineering, procurement, planning, quality control and project execution for rail and metro projects.

The Al Maktoum airport project also strengthens the company’s position in the Gulf region, where governments are investing in urban transit and next-generation mobility infrastructure.

Once fully developed, Al Maktoum International Airport is expected to become the world’s largest airport, with its planned passenger and cargo capacity.

The company classified the contract as a “Large” order, which under L&T’s classification means a project valued between ₹2,500 crore and ₹5,000 crore. The company did not disclose the exact value of the contract.