February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

flydubai is a government-owned low-cost carrier headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched in June 2009 with a single Boeing 737-800, the airline has rapidly expanded to operate a modern fleet of over 80 Boeing 737 MAX and 737-800 aircraft serving more than 125 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Europe. flydubai is owned by the Government of Dubai and operates from Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminals 2 and 3. The airline was established to open previously underserved or unserved routes from Dubai, providing affordable point-to-point air connectivity to secondary cities and emerging markets that Emirates’ wide-body, long-haul model does not efficiently cover.

UAE Context

flydubai plays a strategically complementary role to Emirates Airline within Dubai’s aviation ecosystem. Since 2017, a formal partnership between the two carriers enables codesharing, network integration, and reciprocal loyalty programme benefits — Emirates Skywards members can earn and redeem miles on flydubai flights. This dual-brand strategy allows Dubai to capture both premium long-haul and value-conscious short-haul passenger segments from a single hub. flydubai has been instrumental in opening markets that previously had no direct connection to Dubai, including cities across Russia, the CIS states, East Africa, the Balkans, and South Asia. Many of these routes have subsequently grown into high-demand corridors that feed passengers into Emirates’ long-haul network. The airline’s commitment to the Boeing 737 MAX fleet enables low per-seat operating costs, high frequency on competitive routes, and rapid deployment to new markets as demand emerges.

Key Data

  • Headquarters: Dubai, UAE
  • Founded: 2008 (operations commenced June 2009)
  • Owner: Government of Dubai
  • Hub: Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminals 2 and 3
  • Fleet: Over 80 Boeing 737 MAX and 737-800 aircraft
  • Destinations: Over 125 cities across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe
  • Partnership: Codeshare and loyalty integration with Emirates Airline since 2017
  • Annual passengers: Over 14 million
  • Unique routes: Opened over 70 new routes with no prior direct air link to Dubai

Significance for Vision 2031

flydubai directly supports Vision 2031 tourism and trade connectivity objectives by expanding Dubai’s air access map to emerging and secondary markets. The airline’s low-cost model makes Dubai accessible to price-sensitive travellers from developing economies, broadening the tourist demographic beyond traditional premium markets. This expanded connectivity also supports Dubai’s trade sector by facilitating business travel and cargo movement with markets in Central Asia, East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. flydubai’s fleet modernisation with fuel-efficient 737 MAX aircraft aligns with the UAE’s aviation sustainability commitments, while the airline’s workforce of over 4,000 employees contributes to private-sector employment targets. As Dubai builds out Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), flydubai’s operational flexibility and rapid-growth model position it for a potential early role at the new hub.