The Emirates Group

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum launched The Emirates Group in 1985 to turn Dubai into a global aviation hub. The state-owned holding company sits in Garhoud right next to Dubai International Airport and manages two main businesses: Emirates Airline and dnata. While dnata handles ground services at over 126 airports around the globe, Emirates flies more than 250 wide-bodied aircraft to destinations across six continents.

The organization employs over 120,000 staff from 170 different nationalities. Recent financial reports show the group earned Dh4.1 billion in profit during the first half of fiscal year 2026/27. This figure represents a sharp drop of 66% compared to the previous year due to rising fuel costs and air traffic disruptions caused by the Iran war and regional conflict.

Despite these challenges, the company maintains an order book worth US$58 billion for approximately 170 new aircraft. The group remains fully owned by the Government of Dubai through the Investment Corporation of Dubai and continues to explore non-stop flights to new cities in the United States. [edit]