Dubai: Almost 48 million people travelled through Dubai’s air, land and seaports in 2015, a 7.84 per cent increase when compared to statistics of 2014, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) reported on Sunday.
More than 24 million of the total number were travellers entering the emirate through all ports, an 8.15 per cent increase when compared to the 22.49 million who entered Dubai in 2014. More than 19 million of the total number in 2015 were tourists and visitors entering the emirate through its air and seaports.
Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, director-general of the GDRFA, said the department is continuously striving to develop its services to make entry processes at the borders efficient and hassle-free. He also emphasised that this was reflective of the directives issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Brigadier Salah Al Qumzi, Assistant to the director-general for land and seaports affairs at the GDRFA, said the development witnessed by Dubai’s seaports in recent years sets it apart from its global counterparts.
“Dubai’s seaports, in terms of both size and the quality of services, is what really puts it on the map and sets it apart from its global competitors,” he said. “We have strategies put in place by our emirate’s leaders to help us continue to better our practices and efficiently deal with the large number of visitors.”
There are a total of six seaports in Dubai — Jebel Ali Port, Port Rashid, Shindagha Port, Hamriya Port, Al Khor Port and the Dry Docks. The GDRFA branches in these ports offer a range of services, including ship, sailor and crew registration, and services offered to tourists and visitors.
Al Qumzi said there was a 2.18 per cent rise in marine traffic recorded in Dubai last year: 60,488, when compared to 2014 with 59,197.
Colonel Talal Al Shanqeeti, assistant to the director-general for airports affairs, said the department has wasted no effort in simplifying entry and exit procedures at Dubai Airports, pointing out that it takes “no more than five seconds to clear the procedures at passport control counters”.
“There’s been a seven per cent rise in travellers using both our e-gates and counters,” he said. “Last year, we recorded more than 43.5 million travellers entering and exiting the emirate, while in 2014, we recorded 40.43 million.”
Al Shanqeeti said the first quarter recorded the highest number of travellers using Dubai Airports in 2015: 11.33 million. “January was our busiest month,” he said, “with more than four million travellers using Dubai Airports in that month alone.”
Col Al Shanqeeti added that 41,772 new smart gate cards were issued last year, while more than 88,000 were renewed, a 13 per cent increase when compared to 2014. He also said that 130,463 smart gate transactions were conducted last year, compared with 122,103 in 2014.
