RIYADH - Dubai's main airport is on track to handle a record number of passengers this year after an 8% year-on-year increase in the first six months, operator Dubai Airports said on Wednesday.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest airport for international traffic, welcomed 44.9 million passengers in the first half of the year, Dubai Airports said, noting strong demand from key markets such as India and the resurgence of China.

Traffic from China, hit hard by restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, exceeded one million passengers, up 80% year-on-year and representing 90% of 2019 levels.

"We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million annual guests forecasted for 2024," CEO Paul Griffiths said in a statement.

In May, Griffiths forecast 91 million passengers for the year, surpassing the airport's previous annual record of 89.1 million in 2018.

Dubai is a major tourism and trade hub in the Middle East, attracting a record 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023. Thousands of foreigners have flocked to the city, attracted by massive infrastructure spending, generous income tax policies and an open-door approach to immigration.

In April, Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum approved a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International airport worth 128 billion dirhams ($35 billion).

Al Maktoum International Airport will be the largest in the world with a capacity of up to 260 million passengers, and five times the size of DXB, the Sheikh said at the time, adding all operations at Dubai airport would be transferred to Al Maktoum in the coming years.

DXB connects to 269 destinations across 106 countries. After India, Saudi Arabia, Britain and Pakistan were the top three countries by passenger numbers, Dubai Airports said.

(Reporting by Catherine Cartier; Editing by Mark Potter)