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In a boost to Dubai’s GDP, DXB sets record with 44.9 million guests in first half

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DXB traffic

Dubai International (DXB) has raised the bar on its contribution to Dubai’s economy by welcoming a record 44.9 million guests during the first six months of this year.

Marking an 8% year-on-year increase in guests, DXB has established its position as a globally preferred gateway, boosted by strong connectivity with key international markets, while reaffirming its central role in supporting Dubai’s economic growth.

Dubai attracted 9.31 million international visitors in H1 2024, reflecting its burgeoning appeal as a global hub for talent, enterprises, and investors. These figures, recently released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, tie in closely with the growth of Dubai’s GDP, which reached AED 115 billion in Q1 2024, up 3.2% from the previous year.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, commented, “The record-breaking performance in the first half of this year highlights our strategic importance as a global aviation hub. Dubai is at the forefront of global cities when it comes to attracting talent, businesses, and tourists from around the world, and we are proud to be the gateway to the city, driving growth and enhancing the airport experience for every guest.  Strong demand from key source markets such as India and the gradual but certain resurgence of markets such as China, have been instrumental in our success. We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million annual guests forecasted for 2024.”

Established and growing markets

The size and significance of DXB’s established and growing markets including South Asia, Western Europe, the GCC, and East Asia has played a crucial role in the airport’s continued success. In the first half of 2024, India remains DXB’s top destination country with 6.1 million passengers, while traffic from China exceeded 1 million passengers, representing 80% year-on-year growth and a 90% recovery compared to 2019 levels.

DXB’s top destination countries after India are Saudi Arabia with 3.7 million guests, the United Kingdom with 2.9 million guests and Pakistan with 2.3 million guests. Other significant markets include the United States (1.7 million guests), Russia (1.3 million), and Germany (1.3 million). The top three city destinations were London with 1.8 million guests, Riyadh (1.6 million), and Mumbai (1.2 million).

DXB is connected to 269 destinations across 106 countries, served by 101 international airlines, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global business and logistics hub.

Key figures

The total number of flight movements reached 216,000, a 7.2% increase compared to the first six months of last year. The busiest month was January with 7.9 million guests.

DXB efficiently managed 39.7 million bags in the first half of the year, a 6.7% year-on-year increase, marking the highest-ever baggage volume handled in the first half of the year. Highlighting the airport’s commitment to operational excellence, impressively, 92% of all arriving baggage was delivered to guests terminating at DXB within 45 minutes of the aircraft arriving on stand.

The average number of guests per aircraft movement was 213, and the load factor remained steady at 77% compared to H1 2023. Direct traffic accounted for 56% of the total, witnessing a slight increase, while transfer traffic comprised 44%.

Meanwhile, during the second quarter of 2024, the airport saw 21.8 million guests, an increase of 7.5% compared to the same period last year and total movements were recorded at 107,000.  

Enhancing the guest experience

As part of Dubai Airports’ continuous efforts to enhance the guest experience, with a focus on operational excellence and seamless travel experiences, new developments will be rolled out in the coming months. These include colour-coded car parks for easier navigation, a new signature aroma in Al Majlis to create a welcoming atmosphere befitting the VIP facility, and an advanced queue management system.

The real-time monitoring system used at DXB helps the airport anticipate and prevent queues from building up across touchpoints, ensuring a smoother and more efficient journey for all guests. During H1, 98% of guests experienced less than 10 minutes of wait times at departure passport control and the same percentage waited less than 15 minutes at arrivals passport control.  95% of guests at departure security screening waited less than three minutes.

Hospitality

GAME ON: THE CROFT LAUNCHES LIVE SPORTS EXPERIENCE WITH AED 17 DRINKS TO CELEBRATE 17 YEARS

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Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites is turning up the action at The Croft, introducing a new live sports experience designed for fans who want to watch the game properly with great screens, great atmosphere, and even better deals.

Set in the heart of Dubai Marina, The Croft now shows a packed calendar of live sport across football, rugby, Formula 1, tennis, and every UEFA Champions League fixture. Six indoor screens ensure you’re never far from the action, whether it’s a midweek match or a full weekend line-up.

From Real Madrid and FC Barcelona to Manchester United, Liverpool FC and Arsenal, the world’s biggest clubs take center stage, shown live in a setting that’s lively, social, and effortlessly relaxed.

To mark the hotel’s 17th anniversary, drinks start from just AED 17, adding a celebratory edge to every matchday and making it even easier to settle in for the long haul.

At its core, The Croft keeps things simple: good food, cold drinks, and a proper place to watch the game. British-inspired favorites and classic pub bites round out the experience, making it just as suited to a casual evening as it is to a big match with friends.

THE CROFT – LIVE SPORTS EXPERIENCE

Where the game comes first.

A new go-to for live sport in Dubai Marina, The Croft brings together a full calendar of matches, six indoor screens, and a laid-back, social atmosphere that keeps the focus where it should be: on the game.

With drinks from AED 17 as part of the hotel’s anniversary celebrations, it’s a space designed for fans to settle in, stay awhile, and catch every moment.

WHERE: The Croft, Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, Dubai Marina
WHEN: Ongoing                                                                                                                      PRICE: Drinks starting from AED 17

Opening Hours:

  • Tuesday – Saturday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Dinner)
  • Sunday: 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM (Lunch & Dinner)
  • Monday: Closed

For more information or to book, visit instagram.com/croftdubai or call 04 319 4000

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SHANGHAI ME MARKS WORLD COCKTAIL DAY WITH THE ALCHEMY, 

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A NEW COCKTAIL COLLECTION

Shanghai Me, the acclaimed Pan-Asian dining destination at the heart of DIFC, is marking World Cocktail Day with the launch of The Alchemy, a new cocktail collection built not around flavour profiles, but around something far more elemental.

Drawing on the five elements of Chinese philosophy, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, the menu takes its cue from the cyclical logic of the Chinese zodiac, in which each element aligns with its corresponding animal sign only once every sixty years. It is this rare convergence of character and energy that forms the conceptual foundation of the collection, with each cocktail functioning as an interpretation of a specific elemental force.

The result is a menu of considerable range. Some drinks are immediate and bold; others open slowly, revealing texture and progression across each sip. Fire manifests as intensity; Water as something fluid and instinctive; Earth as depth and weight; Metal as cool precision; Wood as forward momentum. Rather than using the zodiac as aesthetic decoration, the collection treats it as a structural framework, with each drink carrying a personality shaped by both its animal sign and its elemental character.

In its approach, The Alchemy reflects the culinary philosophy that has defined Shanghai Me since its Dubai opening, the blending of refined Japanese technique with the bolder flavours of Chinese cuisine, reinterpreted rather than preserved. The collection is helmed by the restaurant’s bar team and developed in keeping with the broader vision of chef-preneur Izu Ani and restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin under Fundamental Hospitality.

The Alchemy launches today, the 13th May, and will be available at Shanghai Me Dubai from that evening.

This is separate from skydive, Tuttofood and others. this is a new press release edit. give me an SEO title (7 words) and meta description (14 words) for this piece. please note my main keyword is Shanghai Me

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SUN SIYAM PASIKUDAH LAUNCHES THE ONLY FLOATING OCEAN DINING PLATFORM ON THE WATERS OF PASIKUDAH BAY

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Sun Siyam Pasikudah, part of the Privé Collection under Maldivian-owned Sun Siyam Resorts, has officially launched its floating dining platform on the open waters of Pasikudah Bay, the Aqua Lounge. It is the only floating ocean dining platform on the bay, the only solar-powered floating dining platform on Sri Lanka’s east coast, and the only floating fine-dining experience on the open Indian Ocean in eastern Sri Lanka — a meaningful distinction from the lake and river venues that exist elsewhere on the island. There is nothing else like it on this coastline.

The platform spans 400 square feet and is reached by catamaran directly from the resort’s shore. It is built from sustainable timber and recyclable barrels, and runs entirely on solar energy. Both choices reflect the resort’s wider commitments under Sun Siyam Cares, the sustainability programme covering renewable energy, ocean conservation, waste management, and community engagement across all Sun Siyam properties.

What makes the platform stand out is not just where it sits but the thinking behind it. The structure uses sustainable timber and recyclable barrels, runs on solar energy, and reclaimed greywater principles guide the resort’s wider operations on land. The floating platform is a natural extension of that philosophy, applied, quite literally, to the ocean the resort is working to protect.

The dining experience centres on a seven-course menu drawing on the freshness and flavours of the eastern coast. Evenings begin with sunset refreshments as the light shifts over the bay, and the platform stays open through the night for guests who want to linger over a meal with the sound of the water beneath them. For those who want something quieter, a breakfast on the platform is available on request, a more private way to begin the day out on the water.

Beyond the guest experience, the platform carries a genuine community purpose that the team considers just as important. School children from nearby villages are brought out to the platform regularly as part of the resort’s CSR programme, not as a sightseeing trip, but as a hands-on conversation about the bay they have grown up beside, the coral reef beneath it, and what it means to look after both. It is one of the ways Sun Siyam Pasikudah extends its values beyond its own grounds.

Pasikudah Bay is extraordinary, the curve of it, the shallow water, the way the evening light falls across it,” said Arshed Refai, General Manager of Sun Siyam Pasikudah. “We wanted to put guests right at the centre of that. Not looking at the ocean from the shore, but actually sitting on it. And the menu tells the story of this coast, the ingredients, the fishermen who supply us, the techniques that belong here. That is the east coast experience we want people to leave with.”

Sun Siyam Pasikudah offers 34 contemporary pavilions set along one of Sri Lanka’s most pristine and unspoiled stretches of coastline. The resort has long embedded sustainability into its daily operations, from solar and LED lighting and water conservation to a waste management approach built around reduction, recycling, and composting. As part of the Privé Collection, the boutique tier of The House of Siyam, it is designed for travellers who want to be somewhere specific, not just somewhere beautiful. The floating platform is the latest expression of that: a dining experience that could only exist here, on this bay, on this particular stretch of the Indian Ocean.

Guests can also take advantage of the Summer Offer at Sun Siyam Pasikudah, available for stays until 31 October 2027. The offer includes exclusive savings on room upgrades, dining, and spa treatments, along with added touches such as a complimentary spa experience, kayaking session, and daily bicycle use, all designed to enhance a relaxed and immersive escape on Sri Lanka’s untouched east coast. For reservations and enquiries, guests can reach the resort on +94 65 205 5555 or +94 70 242 4263, or visit www.sunsiyam.com/sun-siyam-pasikudah.

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