Dubai, Jul 7 (IANS/WAM): UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has endorsed a $7.8 billion expansion plan of the Dubai International Airport that will help boost its passenger capacity from 60 million to 90 million passengers annually by 2018, it was announced Wednesday.

The plan, presented to Sheikh Mohammed at a high-level meeting earlier this week, is designed to deliver infrastructure that will support the sector's impressive growth and facilitate Dubai's economic expansion.

"The combination of rallying tourism, Dubai's proximity to the emerging economies of India and China, and the emirates' established role as a trading hub, is together expected to drive traffic growth and further elevate Dubai's status as a global centre for aviation," said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports and president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

"By 2020, 98.5 million passengers and over four million tonnes of air freight will pass through our airports. The fleets and networks of Emirates and flydubai will grow considerably to accommodate traffic and capture market share.

"Similarly, our infrastructure must expand to enable this growth and facilitate the trade, tourism and commerce that in turn will support the prosperity of Dubai," he added.