Ongoing airport development projects in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia have reached a staggering amount valued at over $68 billion. The Gulf countries represent $43 billion of the total amount with the UAE alone cornering $21 billion. Topping the list at $10 billion is the new Al-Maktoum International Airport at Jebel Ali, UAE - to become the largest airport in the world and handling 120 million passengers annually - followed by the development of Abu Dhabi International Airport at $6.8 billion and Qatar's $5.5 billion New Doha International Airport. Projects at Saudi Arabia's King Abdul Aziz, Madina and Tabuk airports are valued at $11.3 billion. Bahrain International Airport has a $815 million expansion project, Kuwait International Airport with $2.1 billion and Queen Alia International Airport, Jordan with $600 million. Streamline Marketing Group, organizers of the Airport Expo Dubai on June 2-4, said the huge amount highlighted a massive phase of airport construction and expansion in the Gulf countries, including Jordan, Iraq, India, Sri Lanka and across the African continent. Modernization of smaller airports in India costs $4 billion, and further projects worth $3.5 billion and $2 billion respectively are in Libya and Baghdad. __
