DXB braces for summer rush with 3 million passengers in early July

Dubai International expects daily traffic to cross 200,000 through early July

Last updated: July 01, 2026 | 11:11

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

DXB braces for summer rush with 3 million passengers in early July

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Dubai: Dubai International is preparing for one of its busiest summer travel periods, with around 3 million passengers expected to pass through its terminals in the first half of July.

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The summer peak begins with a rise in departures from July 2 as UAE residents leave for holidays. Daily traffic is expected to regularly cross 200,000 passengers during the period, with July 12 forecast to be the busiest day at more than 225,000 travellers.

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Holiday departures build

Dubai Airports said it has activated its summer readiness plan with its oneDXB partners to keep journeys smooth, safe and on schedule during the peak period.

Passengers have been advised to arrive no earlier than three hours before departure and use online check-in wherever possible. Emirates passengers can also use the airline’s home, city and self-service check-in options to reduce waiting time at the airport.

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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 DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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