Zayed International Airport (AUH) has been named the World’s Most Beautiful Airport at the Prix Versailles, The World Architecture and Design Award, recognising its outstanding architectural design in the Airports category. The announcement was made at a ceremony in Paris at UNESCO’s Headquarters, coinciding with the airport's first anniversary and the UAE’s Eid Al Etihad 53 celebrations.
Zayed International Airport claimed the top spot in this highly coveted category amid strong global competition, setting a new standard for airport excellence worldwide after just one year in operation. The airport’s design language, interwoven with Islamic geometric motifs, reflects Abu Dhabi’s natural environment and cultural heritage, while Sana Al Nour, one of the largest art installations in the Middle East with a 30-metre-diameter directs air and light to enhance the building’s energy efficiency, reducing demand by 10%.
The award celebrates Zayed International Airport's innovative design, which blends cutting-edge technology with the rich cultural heritage of the UAE. Spanning 742,000 square meters, AUH features a distinctive X-shaped design, equipped to accommodate up to 11,000 travellers per hour and 79 aircraft simultaneously. This doubles the previous capacity, and AUH is primed to manage up to 45 million passengers annually, pioneering the world’s first nine biometric touchpoints by 2025.
Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said:"Zayed International Airport embodies the UAE's vision for the future of aviation, blending ambition with innovation, and a commitment to shaping the future of airport experiences. This is a very proud moment for Abu Dhabi Airports, made even more significant as it coincides with our first anniversary and the Eid Al Etihad 53 celebrations. It is a moment of great pride for Abu Dhabi and the UAE. I extend my sincere gratitude to His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, Kohn Pedersen Fox, the architectural firm behind this masterpiece, our stakeholders and partners, and the entire Abu Dhabi Airports team."
This award complements the global recognition that AUH has achieved over the past twelve months, most notably its recognition as the fastest-growing airport in the Middle East in terms of international seat capacity. It has also achieved an excellent ACI ASQ satisfaction score that ranks AUH as one of the best airports in the world. This is against a backdrop of strong passenger traffic numbers that have seen a steady quarter-on-quarter increase to serve over 21 million passengers as of 30 September 2024.
The award also reflects the dedication of more than 25,000 team members who contributed to the airport's development and launch in November 2023, and reinforces Abu Dhabi's position as a leading global destination and highlights the emirate's commitment to innovation and excellence in the aviation industry.
