Dubai International airport is the Middle East’s busiest airport. It’s also ranked as the 27th busiest airport in the world. Dubai continues to attract millions of people as it evolves as a business capital as well as a holiday hot-spot. 120 airlines to over 205 destinations serve approximately 95,000 passengers daily. Because of the government’s continuous efforts to boost tourism in Dubai, these numbers are expected to increase drastically. Already, the number of passengers has increased by 316% between 1997 and 2007! To accommodate more and more passengers, an extension to the Dubai airport is currently being constructed and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2008.
Dubai International Airport, with its cutting-edge technology and luxurious setting, is simply great. Its famous Duty Free shopping and high-tech eGate are just some of the things that make this airport world class. It even provides special assistance to those with special needs who often don’t get the attention they need elsewhere. The Dubai airport is continuously updating their facilities in order to make your arrivals and departures as quick and hassle-free as possible.
Arrival
Visa Services
Passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport who need to collect their original visa permit can do so at the specially designated desks at the end of the Arrivals tunnel before taking the escalators to passport control.
Passport Control
Visitors to Dubai need a valid passport or travel document and most require a visa. Those arriving at Dubai International Airport do not need to fill in the embarkation cards if their visas have been issued in Dubai. Citizens of thirty-three countries do not require visas to be issued prior to arrival. E-gates are available for faster processing of immigration procedures.
Baggage Services
The baggage and conveyor belts are very wide to better accommodate baggage and checked-in baggage is tagged with a special Baggage Reconciliation System which tracks each piece of baggage from check-in through to loading. All bags are scanned with barcode scanners and the system stores information about the location of each baggage item. This makes retrieval - whenever necessary - much more efficient.
Hotel Reservations
Upon arriving at Dubai International Airport, a special one-stop travel desk is available in the Arrivals Hall next to the Customs X-ray machines. Here passengers can book hotels, tour packages, airline tickets, etc.
Dining
Passengers can select from 25 food and drink outlets within the new terminal - from fast food to specialty cuisine and even an Irish pub, passengers are spoilt for choice. The Food Court is located on the Departures Level between Gates 13 and 15. Restaurants serving everything from French to Indian cuisine can be found in the food court.
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