One of the busiest airports in the world, the airport with the highest average number of passengers on each flight, has one of the massive duty-free shops inside it, etc. The description of Dubai international airport is endless.
The biggest landmark of Dubai is the Dubai international airport. The airport was opened for the first time on 30th September 1960.
It is been more than 60 years since Dubai International Airport is serving its passengers with the highest quality services. The airport is situated in the Al Garhoud district of Dubai and it is spread over 7200 acres of land.
The purpose of this report is to provide the readers with a better understanding of the Dubai International Airport and its facilities.
If you are someone who has never been to Dubai Airport will get an idea about the airport after reading this report. So without any delay, let us get to the details of Dubai International Airport.
History Of Dubai International Airport
The construction of the Dubai International Airport was started in the period of the ruler, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum in the year 1959.
The airport was officially opened for passengers in 1960. By the time of 1980, it has became the stopping point for airlines such as Air India, Singapore Airlines, and others traveling between Asia and Europe that needed refueling in the Persian Gulf.
Terminals at Dubai Airport
There are 3 main terminals in the Dubai International Airport. Terminal 1 is where all international flights except Emirates and Qantas are operated.
Terminal 2 operates regional and low-cost carriers. And the 3rd terminal is the place for Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, and Emirates flights. A bit more details about the terminals are given below:
Terminal 1
Annually more than 20 million passengers can be accommodated through this terminal. It operates all international flights.
There are many facilities inside T1 including its own train to take passengers from and to the gates, free wifi, a food court, and retail outlets.
The immigration stands and check-in stations and all other counters are equipped with the latest technology available.
Terminal 2
Around 50 airlines have been operating from the 2nd terminal. It can accommodate 5 million passengers. It operates all regional flights in Dubai including Dubai’s first budget airline Fly Dubai.
It has facilities such as ATMs and banking facilities, car rental companies to arrange a vehicle for your vacation, a wide range of food options, smoking lounges, prayer halls, and medical centers for medical emergencies.
Terminal 3
It is the newest of the three terminals and features upgraded facilities to control arrivals and departures from Dubai including modernized immigration stands, e-gates, check-in stations, a food court, a pharmacy, and more.
T3 operates arrivals and departures of Emirates Airline Flights Exclusively. Dubai International Airport is situated in the T3 area.
Dubai International Airport Transportation Options
There are many transportation options available to get to Airport.
Taxi: You can ask the “May I Help You” team to arrange a taxi for you to get out from the airport or you can follow the signal birds that has given everywhere in the airport. Just for your knowledge, the taxis will be in cream color and the ones with pink color will be driven by female drivers.
Metro: Both in the 1st and 3rd terminals there is metro services are available. These are quick and affordable. You will need a Nol card to travel on the train, which you can purchase from the airport metro station.
You can get the train every 10 minutes break and please note that on Fridays the metro service starts only after 1 pm otherwise it will start from 5.30 in the morning.
Bus: This is the less expensive option to travel to and from the airport. You have to have a Nol card as with the train. You can find bus departure stations outside terminals 3 and 1. One more thing to remember is that the first 3 rows inside the bus are reserved for female passengers.
Parking options inside Dubai International Airport
24-hour car parking is available in all of the terminal buildings. Although, The rates for parking are different 3 terminals.
The cheapest car parking car is in terminal 1, which is free for the first 15 minutes. Terminal 1 has a capacity of 350 vehicles, terminal 2 is 50, and Terminal 3 is 163. Keep your parking tickets with you you will need them when the time of returning cars from the parking lounge.
Arrival and Departure Procedures
- A passenger who has arrived at the Dubai International Airport can follow the “Arrivals and Bggage Reclaim’ sign.
- In the immigration area, there will be airport staff helping to go to the correct counter line based on their travel documents such as passport and visa status.
- Clear immigration, and pick up bags from the baggage claim and customs at Dubai Airport.
- After clearing the custom area you will reach the arrival hall, which is open to everyone. In case you have any confusion reaching there you can ask for help from the “May I Help You” team.
- There are several currency exchange counters in the arrival hall, you can use that if needed. The arrival hall also has car rentals, banks, and phone sim card counters.
Departure procedures:
- You must have all the documents with you, including Covid-19 PCR test results if it is required by the country you are traveling to.
- To avoid getting delayed or confused inside the airport you may consult the “May I Help You” staff for help. And they will help you to find the right direction to wherever you wanna go next.
Visa Requirements
Anyone with appropriate documents can travel to Dubai using a transit or tourist visa, which is available for travelers from all over the world. Visa-free entry is allowed for citizens in other GCC countries. Also, they do not need on-arrival documents for traveling to Dubai.
It is no longer required for passengers who are traveling to Dubai to present their Covid-19 vaccination report or they need to undergo PCR tests.
But in the case of passengers who are traveling through Dubai to other countries, if that country has announced a Covid-19 test is mandatory then you have to add the vaccination certificate with your other documents.
Services and Amenities
1. Getting In and Out of Dubai International Airport
Taxis are the best option for this. You can either directly call a taxi or order one at the airport. They are usually cream in color, and there are pink taxis driven by female drivers. Metros are available at terminals 1 and 3 and run every 10 minutes. There are also many buses there for transportation. Don’t forget to purchase the NOI card from a nearby Metro station, as buses do not accept cash.
2. Taking Care of Your Luggage
Terminals 1 and 3 have short-term baggage storage facilities. You will be charged between AED 20 to 25 for a few hours, depending on the size of the baggage. Porters are also available at terminals to carry your luggage.
3. Duty-Free Mall
Any luxurious brands, chocolates, jewelry, perfumes anything you need is available here. It has been spread across 26,000 square meters. The airport’s Duty-free shop is the only place you can buy alcohol without getting caught by the Dubai government.
4. Eating at Dubai Airport
All three terminals have a wide variety of restaurants and bars, including Burger King, Mcdonald’s, Subway, etc. All kinds of foods are available and consist of places for families to eat together.
5. Sleep and Showers Facilities
There are reserved private lounges available for passengers. Marhaba at all three terminals is open for all, it comes with a cost. Here you can shower, enjoy your meal and relax on comfortable massage chairs.
There are also mini-hotel room facilities available if you are about to sleep you can use them. These are completely soundproofed and equipped with TV, music, Wi-Fi, and clean, comfortable beds. They charge by the hour.
6. Entertainment for Children
There is a game zone for children at Terminal 3. That includes the latest toys and play equipment and huge TV screens showcasing their favorite shows.
7. Care for Specially-Abled People
Electric carts have been deployed for specially-abled people, enabling them to travel easily within the airport. There are dedicated lounges for specially-abled travelers near gates 9 and 22.
There are help desks dedicated only for them between rows A and B in all departure areas.
8. Currency Exchange
Dubai Airport has several exchange bureaus in all terminals, so you can get the right currency for your destination.
9. Baby Care Rooms and Prayer Rooms
While traveling with babies it is necessary to attend to them privately. Baby care rooms are there in every terminal and you can ask the closest one to the helpers there.
DXB airports also provide prayer rooms everywhere for Muslim travelers. These are available in the parking lounges also, just follow the signs to reach there.
10. Connecting Flights and Transit
The Dubai International Airport covers a huge area, therefore time is needed to switch between flights.
The minimum time for a connecting flight in Dubai Airport is one hour, which is for Emirates flights. The time will be more than that for any other flight connections.
You may find it difficult to catch up in case you go the wrong way even if the time is considered to be generally sufficient.
Taking the wrong bus/train when you are supposed to take another will make you a time delay. To avoid these confusions follow the rules. Follow these steps as soon as you arrive at Dubai Airport:
- You will be required to identify the time of the next flight and the terminal you need to reach on the screen near you. And hurry for that if the time is less.
- Note the gate name and number and memorize them.
- The gate number printed on the boarding pass might be wrong, maybe the flight may change the time of arrival because of many reasons. So do not rely on that detail every time.
- Contact the connection counters if you still have any confusion.
- Remember, if you are in the terminal 3 duty-free areas, this area is silent which means no announcements are made here. So be alert while shopping and don’t miss your flight.
- In case you are self-connecting in Dubai Airport, keep a note of the baggage details such as where you can find them in the airport. Currently, it is located after the immigration desk.
Transiting through any Airport can be hectic. Dubai International Airport is an example of a connection-heavy facility.
While transiting you have to take care of your luggage, boarding passes, and document checks.
Dubai International Hotel
The Dubai International Airport is located in the Terminal 3 area. The hotel is primarily for the transit passengers who arrive at the Dubai International Airport.
Guests who book the hotel cannot go out of the Airport nor can they retrieve the checked-in luggage. The property provides 24-hour room service.
The Dubai International Hotel offers 5 Royal suites, 9 Executive suites, and 38 Executive rooms. There are 14 Junior suites, 22 Superior Delux rooms, and 253 Delux rooms too available in the hotel.
The facilities offered by the hotel:
- High-speed internet access
- Flat-screen TV with multiple channels.
- Automatic mini bar
- Massage chair
- Makeup service on request
The Premier Inn Dubai International Airport
The Premier Inn Dubai International Airport is located near Dubai International Airport terminals. This luxurious hotel has 281 rooms and other facilities they offer are:
- A rooftop swimming pool
- Whirlpool bath
- A restaurant
- A bar
- A Costa coffee shop
- Hotels own bus service to the Dubai Airport.
There are accommodation options available near the Dubai Airport including Le Meridien Dubai Hotel, Flora Inn Hotel Dubai Airport, Aloft Dubai Airport, Dubai Youth Hotel, etc.
Dubai International Airport is the 3rd largest airport in the world. And also it is the largest airport in the middle east part of the world. Its facilities are unbeatable by any other airport compared to other airports in GCC. It has 2 runways with more than 4 km long and 3 terminals.
It serves 90 million people every year and has been in existence since 1960. The title of the busiest airport for international passenger traffic in the whole world was retained in the name of Dubai International Airport since the year 2014.
DXB also holds the name that It is one of the top ten international cargo hubs.
The economy of UAE is very much dependent on Dubai International Airport. According to the data more than 90,000 people are currently working for it.
21% of the employment in Dubai is related to DXB. 27% of the country’s economy which is approximately $27 billion is contributed by Dubai International Airport.
As we all know, Dubai is now one of the worldwide shopping capital and the DXB Duty-Free store is the largest in the world.
Also, the airport offers many passenger activities such as an outdoor swimming pool, gym, restaurants, and other entertainment spots. There are many other facilities offered by Dubai Airport for passengers.
Modernized and latest technologies are used in the airport counters. Your luggage is given premium security. The hotel facilities inside the airport make passengers more comfortable while traveling, especially those who are taking connecting flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many ways for getting a tourist visa in Dubai. You can apply for it with sufficient documents.
There are many transportation options available inside the Airport. You can either use the Metro or the bus.
There are parking lounges in 3 three terminals. Terminal 1 has a capacity of 350 vehicles, Terminal 2 has a capacity of 50 cars and Terminal 3 has 165. The parking is free for two hours. After that, you have to pay.
It is really easy to access the airport’s wifi and it is completely free. Simply just select the “DXB free wifi” network to connect.
If you get ill at the airport you can ask any “May I Help You” team for assistance. The Airport medical facilities will take you and give you proper treatment.