As the economies grow in a handful of countries in the region , so too do ambitions -- and few things symbolize a country 's aspirations as aptly as an airport . Dubai , Abu Dhabi , Bahrain , Istanbul and Riyadh are all claiming their main transport hubs . There is competition in the region to build the most ' iconic ' airport . The combined capacity in the region will be 450 million -- ten times current traffic . Istanbul and Dubai are both claiming their airports will be the world 's biggest .
Dubai , Abu Dhabi , Bahrain , Istanbul and Riyadh are all claiming their main transport hubs . There is competition in the region to build the most ' iconic ' airport . The combined capacity in the region will be 450 million -- ten times current traffic . Istanbul and Dubai are both claiming their airports will be the world 's biggest .