The Dubai International Airport was built in 1959 by order of the late ruler, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and was the first airport to be built in the UAE. At that time, the airport only contained one runway, which length was 1.8 km (1.12 miles). The airport is 4 km (2.5 miles) south-east of the city center and is positioned at latitude 25° 25 N, longitude 55° 36 E. The Dubai Airport is the fastest growing airport in the Middle East and has been nominated the best airport in 2002 and 2003 by a survey carried out by IATA (International Air Transport Association).
Terminal 1 (Sheikh Rashid Terminal or Concourse 1)
This terminal is the main heart of the Dubai Airport and was reopened in April 2000 as the second stage of the airport expansion program, which began in 1997. The terminal is 0.8 km (0.5 miles) in length and connects to the check-in area by a 0.3 km (0.19 miles) underground tunnel containing moving walkway (conveyer belt / travelators). The terminal has also installed an advanced passenger clearance system, known as e-gate, which uses a smart card to electronically screen a passenger’s data.
Airport Facilities
The Dubai Intl. Airport is continuously developing and currently has 2 terminals and accommodates 100 airlines, which connect to over 140 destinations. The airport has a meet-and-greet assistance service known as Marhaba Services [+971 (4) 224 5780].