Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) will be the first airport in the Middle East to welcome the world's largest passenger aircraft A380 in the second half of 2006, the Khaleej Times daily reported Sunday.

As the Middle East regional aviation hub, Dubai Airport will achieve another milestone next year while the other regional airports in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, Doha in Qatar and Saudi's Jeddah could be able to host the mammoth aircraft in 2008.

UAE's Emirates Airlines tops the Airbus order's list and it will have the largest A380 fleet with 45 aircraft, reported the newspaper.

Dubai International Airport, being a premier and busiest airport, will be in the first wave of major hubs hosting the A380 and is racing against the clock to prepare for its giant guest next year.

Established in 1959, Dubai International Airport is connecting over 150 destinations across the globe through more than 100 airlines.

Dubai Department of Civil Aviation(DCA) is making significant investment worth billions of dollars on expansion programme to welcome the super jumbo aircraft. It is making utmost efforts to upgrade facilities, the expansion work is underway to build Terminal 3 and Concourses 2 and 3 at Dubai International Airport.

As many as 21 airports in the world will upgrade infrastructure and add facilities to receive the giant aeroplane next year, according to a study conducted by the daily.

Airports across the globe are gearing up efforts and racing against the clock to receive the world's largest passenger jet. London's Heathrow, Los Angeles, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Frankfurt and Dubai are among the first batch that will host the A380 next year.