Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport opened in 1960 and is the busiest airport in the Middle East. It currently serves over 120 airlines and in 2007 handled over 34 million passengers. Almost all international flights arrive at Sheikh Rashid Terminal 1, home of Dubai Duty Free. The smaller Terminal 2 handles flights from the former Soviet Union, Iran and charter flights.

Arriving is usually pretty painless. Taxis, ATMs, car rentals and hotel reservations are all available once you’ve passed customs.

The airport is situated around 3 miles south-east of the city centre, around 10 minutes drive in a taxi. It serves as the hub for the national carrier, Emirates.

In 2006 readers of Conde Nast Traveller Magazine rated Dubai International as the best airport in the world.

Feature Details
Code DXB
Passenger Terminals 2 (Terminal 3 under construction - due for completion in 2008. Once complete the airport will be able to handle 80 million passengers annually.)
Check-in Desks 221 – Terminal 1, 22 – Terminal 2
Car Rentals Yes
ATMs Yes
Taxis Available 24 hours. Complimentary shuttle buses/limousines to most major hotels.
Parking Long and short-term.
Other Facilities Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Hotel, health club, business centre, currency exchanges, restaurants, children’s play area, medical centre, prayer room.

Reader Comments / Additional Information

Skippy in Saudi
A big improvement would be getting all the people off the floor. It looks like a 3rd world ghetto there most of the time.
Editor
6/5/08 - No opening date for Terminal 3 has been announced and the airport is refusing to announce a date until testing has been completed. Looks like they want to make sure they avoid a situation similar to the one that occurred at Heathrow T5.
Editor
Feb 20 2008 - The severity of Dubai’s drug laws was highlighted yesterday when influential British DJ Grooverider was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for possession of cannabis. Grooverider, the stage name of Raymond Bingham, is widely recognised as one of the founders of the drum and bass movement.
Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport in Novemeber as he flew into to perform at The Lodge nightclub. He had forgotten to remove a joint containing 2.16 grams of cannabis from his trousers.
Earlier this month another British visitor, Keith Brown, was jailed for 4 years after 0.003 g of cannabis was found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The piece of cannabis was so small that it could not been seen with the naked eye.
April
Amazing airport. We had to spend 8 hours there because of a strike and were catered to exceptionally!
Editor
Dubai International Airport has reported record passenger numbers. In the first half of 2007 the airport handled over 16.2 million passengers, an 18 percent increase on the corresponding figures for 2006.
Passenger numbers are expected to increase next year with the opening of Terminal 3 and Concourse 2.
Editor
The airport is introducing a number of features for disabled/special needs tourists. These include 20 dedicated immigration counters, 3 new parking areas and a special route through the airport for such travellers.
Editor
Passenger traffic for 2007 is currently estimated at 33 million.
Editor
Terminal 3 is now scheduled to open in December 2007. It will only serve Emirates Airline.
Vlad
Terminal 1 is about 20 minutes drive from Terminal 2. There's a shuttle bus between the two.

Contribute

Why? / Rules




image verification



Info

[View Map]

Sofitel City Centre

Located next to the Deira City Centre and close to the airport, the Sofitel is predominantly aimed at the business visitor [more]

Reader Videos