DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai International Airport maintained its crown as the world's busiest airport last year as officials said Wednesday that a record 95.2 million passengers transited through its terminals, part of the emirate's continued economic boom.
The airport took off in the post-pandemic years, spurred by worldwide interest in travel and by ever-increasing tourism, business and real estate opportunities in the biggest city in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai on Monday reported a 5% increase in tourists last year, to 19.6 million, a third consecutive year of record-breaking figures.
The state-owned airport is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, which powers the network of state-owned and state-linked businesses in the emirate known as “Dubai Inc.”
Dubai International showed in 2025 "that record traffic is no longer an exception, but part of its operating reality,” said Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airports.
Dubai airport saw 92.3 million passengers in 2024, compared with 86.9 million passengers in the previous year. In 2019, just before the pandemic fully disrupted air travel, traffic was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018.
India remained the top destination for people flying out of Dubai International last year, with 11.9 million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia with 7.5 million and the United Kingdom at 6.3 million. The facility served 108 airlines flying to 291 cities in 110 countries.
A real-estate boom and the city’s highest-ever tourism numbers have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover. However, the city is now grappling with increasing traffic and costs that are pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents who power its economy.
Dubai plans to move its airport operations to Al Maktoum International Airport, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) away. Al Maktoum, which opened in 2010 with one terminal, served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic, but it has since returned to life with cargo, commercial and private flights. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast desert in which to expand.
Authorities plan to move operations in 2032 to the city-state’s second airport after a roughly $35 billion upgrade.
FILE - Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, is reflected next to a tablet showing traffic data at the Dubai International Airport as he talks to The Associated Press at the Dubai Air Show, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
FILE - An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)
YLÖJÄRVI, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 11, 2026--
Merus Power Oyj has signed a battery energy storage deal worth approximately 13 million euros with Neve Oy. The 30 MW/80 MWh facility is designed to operate in extremely cold conditions and will be delivered to Rovaniemi at the end of 2026. The companies have also agreed on comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the energy storage facility.
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The energy storage facility is engineered to operate reliably in Arctic conditions, withstanding temperatures down to –50 °C, heavy snowfall, and ice. The system uses grid forming technology that supports the inertia of the electricity grid and strengthens the stability of the electricity system. Merus Power delivered the first grid forming energy storage facilities in the Nordic countries to Valkeakoski and Lappeenranta last year.
Merus Power is responsible for the manufacture, installation, and testing of the BESS. The system is based on advanced technology developed by Merus Power in Finland and the company's own software, which controls and operates the BESS as part of the critical electricity infrastructure. Finnish software development, quality, and cybersecurity features support the system's operational reliability and controllability even in exceptional situations and crises.
Neve Oy is a Lapland-based, multi-sector group owned by the city of Rovaniemi. The company is responsible for electricity transmission, electricity and district heating production, district heating networks and services, water supply, fiber optics, and other energy and infrastructure services in the demanding conditions of the north. The energy storage facility to be delivered will enable participation in several different electricity markets, supporting the flexibility of the electricity grid and the operational reliability of the energy system in demanding conditions.
“Arctic conditions place exceptional requirements on electrical systems. Merus Power's solution responds to these challenges and supports our strategic goal of developing reliable and sustainable energy solutions for the demanding conditions of Lapland,” says Kristian Gullsten, CEO of Neve Oy.
“Merus Power’s energy storage solutions have been developed for demanding electricity grid environments where performance, reliability, and high availability are critical factors. We are proud that our modular solutions can be tailored to our customers' needs. With our technological expertise, we can support Neve Oy in developing the flexibility and reliability of its energy system,” comments Kari Tuomala, CEO of Merus Power.
The deal strengthens Merus Power's position as a supplier of demanding energy storage solutions both in the Nordic countries and internationally.
Merus Power
Merus Power is a Finnish technology company driving the sustainable energy transition. We design and produce innovative energy storages, power quality solutions and services for the needs of renewable energy and industry. Through our scalable technology, we facilitate the growth of renewable energy in electricitygrids and improve the energy efficiency of society.
Our net sales in 2025 were EUR 54.6 million and our stock’s trading symbol on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland is MERUS.
Merus Power delivered the first grid forming battery energy storage systems in the Nordics last year. The grid forming BESS to be deployed in Lapland is also designed to withstand extreme Arctic conditions.
