So, Dubai has just announced that it will be building the largest capacity airport in the world at the site of its existing Al Maktoum International Airport. At an expected cost of approximately US$35 billion, the expanded airport is planned to have 400 gates, 5 parallel runways, 5 passenger terminal buildings, and capacity for up to 260 million passengers per year.

To put this into perspective, Atlanta International Airport is currently the world's busiest with nearly 105 million passengers last year. Dubai International Airport -- their other and main airport -- is second with just under 87 million passengers last year. From a physical perspective, though, this new airport is expected to be 5x the size of Dubai International.

On top of this, Dubai is also planning for the area around the airport -- called Dubai South -- to form the basis of a new city for 1 million people.

The scale is mind boggling.