Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport (IATA Flight Code: DXB) is the largest hub in the Middle East and the home base of Dubai's flag carrier Emirates and its low-cost airline FlyDubai. It has grown at such a furious pace that the present terminals are bursting at the seams, especially during the peak hours around midnight. The airport is one of the few that has non-stop Flights to all inhabited continents, operated by Emirates, some of which are among the longest non-stop flights in the world.

Dubai Airport has numerous designated prayer rooms for both male and female passengers. These rooms can be found across all terminals (T1, T2, and T3). The prayer rooms are well-maintained and provide a peaceful environment for prayers.

1 Dubai International Airport Halal Explorer
2 Muslim Friendly Flights from Dubai International Airport
3 Ground transportation
4 How to get around in Dubai International Airport
5 Wait
- 5.1 Lounges
6 Halal Restaurants in Dubai International Airport
- 6.1 Terminal 1
- 6.2 Terminal 2
7 Muslim Friendly Shopping in Dubai International Airport
8 Telecommunications in Dubai International Airport
9 Book a Hotel at Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport Halal Explorer

Dubai Airport is in the Deira neighborhood in the northern part of Dubai. Originally established in the late 1930s, this giant airport is the premier air gateway to the United Arab Emirates and the busiest airport in the world for international passenger traffic and the Middle East's foremost hub airport. The national flag carrier Emirates is the main airline in Dubai and offers the best connections.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is known for its world-class amenities and services, catering to passengers of various cultural backgrounds, including Muslim travelers. The airport offers various facilities to ensure the comfort and convenience of Muslim passengers:

Prayer Rooms (Musallah): Dubai Airport has numerous designated prayer rooms for both male and female passengers. These rooms can be found across all terminals (T1, T2, and T3). The prayer rooms are well-maintained and provide a peaceful environment for prayers.

Ablution Areas (Wudu): Ablution facilities are available in the prayer rooms to allow passengers to perform the ritual washing (wudu) before prayers. These areas are separated for male and female passengers and provide clean and comfortable spaces for the purification process.

Halal Food: Dubai Airport offers a wide selection of food outlets that serve halal food. Many restaurants and cafes in the airport cater to the dietary requirements of Muslim passengers, ensuring that the food served is halal and prepared according to Islamic dietary laws.

Fasting Services: During the month of Ramadan, Dubai Airport offers special services for fasting passengers. This includes providing complimentary Iftar (breaking of the fast) meals, as well as Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) options at various food outlets.

Airport Mosque: Although not located within the airport terminals and there is a mosque near the airport premises, which can be visited by passengers and airport staff. The mosque, known as the Masjid Al Nahda, is situated near the Airport Free Zone area.

Quran Availability: Copies of the Quran and Islamic literature can be found in the prayer rooms for passengers who wish to read or recite during their stay at the airport.

These facilities ensure that Muslim passengers have a comfortable and convenient experience while at Dubai International Airport, allowing them to fulfill their religious obligations with ease.

Muslim Friendly Flights from Dubai International Airport

The airport has three terminals, as follows:

Concourse A

Concourse B
The only concourse that can't serve the A380, so if your flight is on that aircraft don't expect to find it here!

Concourse C
Gates are usually labelled by the councourse number.

Terminal 2
Regional flights (mainly the Persian Gulf and South Asia region) and low-cost flights, including all FlyDubai flights.

Most airlines have a designed area within their terminal. E.g. Lufthansa group (Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian) use Terminal 1F as check-in.

Ground transportation

Getting between Dubai Airport and various parts of Dubai and Sharjah is relatively quick and easy. There are also options to travel to the capital Abu Dhabi, just an hour or so away by road.

Best way to travel in Dubai International Airport by a Taxi

Most visitors opt for public taxis from the airport, which use the meter and start from Dhs 25. They are readily available just outside arrivals. They are on the left when you come out of terminal 1. A trip to Dubai Marina may cost around Dhs 100, and a trip to the Abu Dhabi downtown costs Dhs. 300. If you look rich or Western and the taxi dispatcher may steer you towards a line of black limousines beyond the main taxi rank. If so, decline politely and take one of the regular taxis.

Travel by train to Dubai International Airport

Terminals 1 and 3 each have a station for the Dubai Metro Red Line; they are in Zone 5 of the line. Trains depart every 10 minutes between about 6am and 12pm, except Friday (between 1pm and 1am).

Travel on a Bus in Dubai International Airport

Buses serves all three terminals. There are buses just opposite the exit gates after baggage claim and the most useful for visitors being lines 401 and 402 (Dhs 3), which go to the Al Sabkha and Al Ghubaiba bus terminals respectively. Tickets cannot be bought from driver so you'll have to buy NOL card before stepping into the bus.

Emirates offers complementary coach services for its economy class passengers from T3 to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

By car

All terminals have extensive parking lots.

How to get around in Dubai International Airport

Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected to each other via the airside (no immigration needed for transfer) and are models of modern airport design. Terminal 2 is on the other side of the airport and, despite recent renovations, is still reminiscent of developing-world airports, with long check-in lines, queue jumping and every second passenger checking in 70 kg of luggage.

There is a poorly publicized connection airside service provided between Terminal 2 and the other two terminals as follows:

Upon arriving off your flight at the hall, just before the immigration counters ask an official where is the connection to Terminal 1 or 3.
They will direct you to the Marhaba counter.
At the counter show your existing incoming ticket, ticket claim sticker, ongoing ticket and passport.
They will request the baggage handling system to redirect your luggage to your outgoing flight. If the luggage has already passed through to the baggage claim then they will send someone to manually collect the luggage. They will give you a receipt with a new tracking number, which you will need if your luggage goes missing.
They will then redirect you to the "Connections" counter. Here you will get a ticket for the shuttle bus.
Go to the shuttle bus for the appropriate terminal. These run every 20 to minutes.
Once in Terminal 1 or 3 follow the "Connections" arrows to and go through the security check.
Once though the security check go to the "Connections" counter to check-in and obtain your boarding passes. This opens for your flight three hours before departure.

It takes roughly 60 minutes from landing until you reach the "Connections" desk in Terminal 1 or 3. There is no charge for the above service and at no stage do you go through immigration. The service also works in the other direction.

If you end up going through immigration to the landside it is believed that there are free shuttle buses running between the three terminals every 20 to 30 minutes. However a 30 min taxi ride may be your only option. A low-cost option for traveling to Terminal 2 is to catch the metro to a nearby station, such as Abu Hail metro station, and from there take a 5 minutes taxi ride to Terminal 2.

Wait

Despite being one of the world's largest airports, DXB has relatively few amenities or things to see for economy class passengers. Waiting is an crucial part of DXB. Due to its stellar growth, facilities and infrastructure are always stretched. Expect queues for pretty much everything during peak hours (around midnight) and uncomfortably crowded waiting areas. The upside is that many Muslim sleep in corners and below the benches, so the atmosphere is not dominated by pushy business travellers. If you are tired and have to wait, ensure you have an alarm set to avoid missing your flight. That said, If you are a first or business class passenger with Emirates and the first and business class lounges are known for their opulent luxury, and take up entire floors, making Dubai one of the best airports in the world for premium passengers to transit.

Lounges

There are a number of VIP lounges at the airport for the use of business and first class passengers, as well as holders of certain credit cards.

Ahlan Lounge Terminal 3 - Arrivals level prior to passport control
Al Majis Lounge
British Airways Lounge
Business Class Lounge
Dubai International Business Class
Dubai International First Class
Emirates Lounges
Emirates Business Lounge
Emirates First Class Lounge
First Class Lounge
Gulf Air Lounge
Lufthansa Lounge
Marhaba Lounge
SkyTeam Lounge
Special Handling Lounge
Unaccompanied Minor Lounge

Halal Restaurants in Dubai International Airport

There are plenty of fast food and fine dining restaurant located in all three terminals of the airport.

Terminal 1

Chowking Orient Restaurant
Mezze Express
Nestle Toll House (currently being boycotted)
Taste of India
Starbucks (currently being boycotted)

Terminal 2

Hatam
Subway (currently being boycotted)
McDonald's (currently being boycotted)
KFC (currently being boycotted)
Paul
Costa
Bombay Chopati

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Dubai International Airport

Dubai Duty Free: Dubai Duty Free is the shopping hub of the airport, offering a wide range of products, including luxury goods, perfumes, cosmetics, electronics, and more. Many of these products are halal and suitable for Muslim clients. Additionally and they also sell prayer mats and Islamic books.

Islamic Books: Bookstores at the airport have a selection of Islamic literature, including copies of the Quran, Hadith books, and other Islamic texts. You can find these bookstores in different terminals of the airport.

Fashion and Apparel: There are several fashion and apparel stores at Dubai Airport that offer modest clothing options suitable for Muslim shoppers. Brands like H&M, Zara, and Mango, as well as local designers, offer a variety of options for modest attire.

Gold and Jewelry: Dubai is known for its Gold and jewelry market, and the airport is no exception. You can find a selection of Gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and stones at various stores in the airport, which cater to Muslim shoppers by offering Islamic designs and patterns.

Arabian Oud: This store specializes in traditional Arabian perfumes, incense, and oud products. They offer a wide range of halal and alcohol-free fragrances suitable for Muslim clients.

Dates and Sweets: Dubai Airport also has stores selling traditional Emirati and Middle Eastern sweets and dates, which are halal and perfect for gifts or personal consumption.

Telecommunications in Dubai International Airport

As a major international hub, Dubai features state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure to cater to the needs of millions of passengers who travel through it each year.

Wi-Fi: Dubai International Airport provides free, high-speed Wi-Fi throughout its terminals. The service, named "WOW-Fi," is accessible to all passengers and offers seamless connectivity for browsing, streaming, and staying connected on social media platforms.

Mobile Networks: The airport is served by major mobile network providers in the United Arab Emirates, including Etisalat and du. These networks offer extensive coverage and support for 4G and 5G connectivity, ensuring that passengers can make calls, send messages, and use mobile data without any issues.

Public Telephones: Dubai International Airport is equipped with public telephones, which can be found throughout the terminals. These phones operate with a prepaid card that can be purchased at various kiosks and convenience stores within the airport.

Charging Stations: To ensure passengers can stay connected and the airport has installed multiple charging stations throughout the terminals. These stations are equipped with USB ports and power outlets, allowing passengers to charge their devices before their flights.

Business Centers: Dubai International Airport offers Business Center in various locations across the terminals. These centers provide facilities such as telephone, fax, internet access, and photocopying services for passengers who need to conduct business during their travels.

Roaming and SIM Card Services: For travelers who require local mobile connectivity, SIM card kiosks and roaming services are available within the airport. These kiosks offer a range of SIM card options and data plans, allowing passengers to stay connected during their visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Book a Hotel at Dubai International Airport

There are numerous hotels in Dubai that cater to Muslim travelers and offer various Muslim-friendly amenities. While I cannot guarantee that all of the following hotels are still operating, as of my knowledge cutoff date in September 2021 and these were some of the popular Muslim-friendly hotels near Dubai International Airport (DXB):

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai

Address: Casablanca St, Al Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ☎ +971 4 702 8888