Families travelling with children above the age of 12 can use Smart Gates to move faster through passport control. Travellers have also been told to check destination rules in advance and keep all required travel documents ready before reaching the airport.
Power banks only in hand luggage
Dubai Airports has reminded passengers to pack spare batteries and power banks in hand luggage only, a rule that often causes delays during baggage screening when items are placed in checked bags.
Passengers have also been advised to monitor flight and gate updates through DXB Express Maps, the airport’s wayfinding platform that allows travellers to navigate terminals by scanning a QR code and searching for their route.
Enhanced support will be available for People of Determination, including marked accessibility routes, trained staff assisting passengers wearing the Sunflower Lanyard and a dedicated Assisted Travel Lounge in Terminal 2.
New airport experience
Terminal 3 passengers will also see the I Heart DXB interactive installation at Concourse B near Gates B28.
The installation allows departing and transiting passengers to upload a selfie and become part of a shared digital portrait of Dubai in the colours of the UAE flag. A wall of handwritten notes will also gather messages from travellers, while participating airport shops will offer rewards, souvenirs and exclusive offers linked to the experience.
The airport expects sustained pressure through the first half of July, with residents heading out for summer breaks, families travelling after the end of the school term and transfer traffic remaining strong across long-haul routes.
Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.
Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy.
An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question.
When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.