Dubai Customs has finally completed preparations to receive an influx of UAE visitors, who are expected to flock to the Dubai International Airport during Eid Al Adha Holiday, as well as returning UAE national or expatriate pilgrims.
Dubai Customs pulled out all the stops to facilitate smooth entrance of inbound passengers through the airport’s three terminals, and to ensure all potential obstacles are eliminated, through coordination with operating airlines to meet any possible increase in passenger numbers, scheduling of annual vacations of airport customs inspectors, conducting inspector training workshops that focus on exquisite reception of travellers, raising their satisfaction, and increasing the number of baggage screening machines.
Ali Al Maqhawi, Director of Airports Operations Department at Dubai Customs, stated that the Eid celebrations will be running for ten days, from the 10-19 of October. In addition, major shopping malls’ opening hours will be extended to be operating round the clock all through the Eid holiday, in order to enhance performance and promote the events, festivals, and retail sectors, thereby sustaining the emirate’s leading position in this field.
For this major event we must be fully prepared, and we must team up with other authorities in the emirate, especially that airports stand for the country’s civilized and prestigious image. Customs inspectors were instructed to offer help and assistance to any passenger whenever needed, and to treat all travellers with equal decency. Besides, all customs staff operating at airport terminals were subjected to intensive training, whether dealing with security, social, or linguistic skills, so as to leverage their performance and scientific capabilities.
Al Maqhawi also confirmed that the Department’s preparations during the Eid holiday and later, and pilgrims’ return to the UAE, are mainly directed towards fast and time-efficient traveller processing, by means of providing the most advanced tools and equipment to handle the inflow of passengers, that is, the inspection of baggage and handbags, training inspectors on the best inspection methods, and facilitating passenger procedures, especially for passengers returning from the Sacred Lands after performing pilgrimage.
He added that, before starting work, inspection officials at all airport terminals meet with staff to provide them with tips on how to maintain good looks and appearance, so as to preserve Dubai Customs’ good name, and how to deal with travellers in a polite way, and to adapt as much as possible to such overwork during this high season of the year. Moreover, team leaders and shift supervisors regularly explain the role of inspectors operating at airport terminals, a role which is literally to keep our nation and community safe and protected against prohibited, banned, and restricted items; in addition to educating and inducting new inspectors, motivating and encouraging constant hard work, focusing on the importance of civilized passenger handling by welcoming and receiving them with a smile at all times -a practice that stems from the core of our Arabian traditions- as well as offering gifts and souvenirs to travellers.
“Through our passenger facilitations, we aim at the fast processing of airport procedures, thus facilitating their entrance to the UAE,” explained the Director of Airports Operations. He also pointed that Dubai Customs educates inbound and outbound travellers about airport customs procedures by inviting all to visit their website, and read the “Travellrs Guide,” which contains all travel-related procedures, such as allowed items, items that must be declared, passengers deposit refund procedures, and the Dubai Customs Passenger Charter, which outlines promises made to passengers by Dubai Customs.
He further noted that Dubai Customs formed a multidisciplinary team to follow-up on preparations relating to the reception of UAE multi-national -particularly GCC- visitors, as well as returning pilgrims. For this purpose, the Department has scheduled its staff annual leaves, and made the necessary arrangements with Emirates and other carriers to ensure coordination and advance notification in cases of excess passenger numbers, so as to carry out direct coordination between the airline staff and inspection staff on duty at each of the airport terminals 1,2 and 3.
Furthermore, he pointed out that Dubai receives more than 230 different nationalities, each having its own traditions and customary practices, the matter which necessitates that we become familiar with other peoples’ cultures and traditions to observe adequate decency in dealing with them, and avoid the occurrence of any misunderstanding that could be traceable to gestures or behavior that is deemed offensive to some nationalities.
Meanwhile, inspection divisions shall be operating at full capacity; as four manual inspection devices shall be used at Terminal 1, along with opening all gates to facilitate movement of inbound passengers and pilgrims, and likewise in Terminal 2. While in Terminal 3, 6 manual inspection devices shall be deployed with gates allocated to pilgrims.
Speaking of inspectors on duty, there will be 37 inspectors working round-the-clock shifts at Terminal 1, 27 at Terminal 2, and 58 at Terminal 3, to ensure provision of best services to passengers.
Moreover, gates for people with special needs have been allocated in all terminals to facilitate their entrance, and inspectors have been assigned to guide travellers to exit gates.