Airport/ Train Station /HarbourDubai International Airport

[borntofly, 02.03.2007] Dubai International Airport was established in 1959 when the late Ruler of Dubai, HH sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ordered for the construction to commence. The airport has been developed so that it is in the centre of Dubai meaning wherever you may be in Dubai you are always no more than 20 minutes away from the airport.

In a short span of time the airport has become one of the top ten recognised and envied airports of the world. When it opened in 1960 it only had the capacity of 9 airlines and served to a mere 20 destinations. But overtime it has grown and expanded so much that it can now accommodate 107 airlines to 160 destinations worldwide. With growing travel demands and pressure of continuing to stay at the level they want to be, Sheikh Rashid terminal was opened making the amount of visitors to Dubai even more frequent.

The airport in itself is magnificent, it is most probably the best one I have ever seen, it does literally take your breath away and it is like nothing I have seen before. The airport is covered with shiny marble flooring that is pristinely polished that somehow boasts of the opulence and luxury that Dubai has to offer. There are tall palm trees all around the airport really giving you an Arabian feel. After a long flight you feel refreshed when you step into this airport. It is very clean and well organised.

The food outlets are based in the second terminal, passengers are truly spoilt for choice here. There are 25 outlets with different cuisine from around the world. They have speciality cuisine to fast food outlets. You will find here McDonalds, pizza outlets, French continental foods, Lebanese cuisine, Indian, Chinese and Mongolian, there is even an Irish pub! There is one main restaurant here called Safar which is divided into three levels, a bar, a buffet and an a la carte restaurant. Any passenger requiring something lighter has the opportunity of visiting Starbucks and other coffee houses. There are plasma TVs all around the airport providing a source of entertainment for passengers.

For anyone travelling to Dubai for the duty free shopping, why wait, you can start right here, the airport has 5,400 square metres of shops selling all kinds of merchandise from jewellery, electronics, cosmetics, liquor, luxury goods, sports, toys, childrens clothing, books etc. Anyone would be spoilt for choice here and it is very tempting to go on a shopping spree immediately. Dubai Airport is the first of its kind to offer duty free and as a result has won countless international awards, 70 to be precise, because of this achievement. All around the airport you will find countless lifts, phones, money exchange bureaus, toilets they even have a gym if you fancy a work out. There is also a prayer room and a baby crèche and playrooms available for use. A hotel is on site also if you in transit over night then this would be an ideal place to rest.

Whether you are in arrivals or departures you will receive a warm welcome from the airport staff an people of Dubai, the airport in itself personifies the people of Dubai perfectly, friendly, welcoming and beautiful. This is truly an impressive airport that no one would forget in a hurry.