Abu Dhabi International Airport will be one of the largest state-of-the-art airports in the world, with a capacity to accommodate 30 million passengers per year by 2019, according to a report.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, was speaking to the media following a tour of the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) on Sunday, said the state news agency Wam.

Stretching over 742,000 sq m, the MTB will be the largest in Abu Dhabi and will be visible from more than 1.5 km away. It will house 65 aircraft gates and boast a 3,500-sq-m duty-free zone, it stated.

''The expansion work on the airport is proceeding smoothly as planned. When the work is completed in 2019, the airport will be able to receive 30 million passengers per year. At that time, we will be up to the challenge and are confident of succeeding,'' Sheikh Hazza was quoted as saying in the report.

The Abu Dhabi International Airport, he said, will be the jewel in the crown of the infrastructure projects in the emirate, and will constitute a paradigm shift in international standards to cope with the development the UAE capital Abu Dhabi is currently witnessing.

''We are always looking forward and the airport project will reflect this evolving vision,'' he added.

During his tour, Sheikh Hazza surveyed the central terminal space, the duty-free zone area, the under-construction transit hotel, the moving sidewalks and the administration office building.

He also reviewed the 28-m-high arch which stretches up to 180 m at the entrance, making it one of the world's largest internal arches.

"The remarkable and tangible progress of the Abu Dhabi airport exemplifies our openness to the world, and thanks to this open environment of tolerance and competitive services, the capital has become a favourite destination for other nationalities,'' he added.