Dubai Airport

Just wanted a bit of advice on the above, I have to go through through the airport on holiday this year, I have never been to this airport, I have got a few things on the hit list for a purchase, such as sunglasses and headphones (Beats by Dre).

Is this place a lot cheaper than elsewhere and is it worth waiting for? I cannot seem to get a list of what is sold in the airport, so seems a risk that I will not get what I want, but does anyone have any experience of Dubai airport.

Thanks

Its horrible. I got pulled into a room the size of a toilet cubicle and stood there in my pants shaking like a sh*tting dog whilst two very large Dubai policemen went through the lint in my pockets and edges of my cards looking for bad things I blatantly didn’t have, whilst questioning me on why was my wallet new and did I like to smoke and what did I do for a living. Shopping wise, yeah things are cheap but don’t really know if really massively cheaper than other cheap online options. The food is terrible. Oh and its really gaudy and the toilets stink.

Its big, very big. And very tacky. Didnt buy anything myself.

I amused my simple mind watching the smokers crammed in a 3m x 3m “pen”, with an underfloor extraction system that would have dragged a small child in.

If you dissembark in the open grab a hat, its about the hottest place I’ve ever been. How the hell they work outside in it, heaven knows.

And if your transiting on the way to Sydney…you have my sympathy.

there are some incredible horror stories about the customes at Dubai. Make sure if you do like to partake you have nothing on you, down to a crumb of hash in the lint of your pocket!

If you ever have had any ganj or anything else in your wallet or anything you are wearing, I would suggest buying a new one based on my experience! They really are just looking to catch you out based on accidental traces rather than deliberate importation.

I’ve heard tales of people being arrested because of a poppy seed [from a bread roll] was found on them

Wow thanks for the advice, did not realise it was that bad. Thought it would be super swish with all the cash floating around. Probably try and source everything before I go then by the looks of the above.
I thought it would be super cheap 🙁

Sorry for the wrong form, forgot to change it.

I’m pretty sure 99.999% of people go through fine though 🙂

It reminds me a lot of the Trafford Centre…

It is swish!

I flew through there last year to South Africa and the new terminal there (emirates terminal) is amazing. Its huge but we didnt do any shopping there (had just left uni so were on a buget!). I had no idea about the apparent strict police checks, we got through absolutely fine!

Yeah, I made the mistake of taking my usual mountain biking backpack as hand luggage, got pulled by a lad in civvies looking like he was about 12 yrs old, took me in to a room with two official looking guys in uniform.

They found crumbs of the finest Peak District dirt in the bottom of my bag and became very concerned, asking me if I smoked marijuana and quite aggressively asking what it was, I spent about 15 minutes trying to explain to them what mountain biking was and even had a old inner tube instruction leaflet out trying to convince them it was just mud.

Eventually they just let me go, and to make things worse, went straight in to the ‘mens’ (male and female signs above two doors) only to be bollocked as I had walked in to a male/female prayer room with shoes on 😀

So yeah aiport – rubbish, city – amazing

been through 4 times now and never once had a problem despite the first two times looking like your typical gap year student.

thepodge, Was the shopping up to much?

Its horrible, it like a tacky shopping mall. Everything is over priced and if you want a tab you have to go in to one of the bars and they have a minium spend of something like 12 quid but that’s okay as that is how much a beer costs.
The only decent thing to do is nick one of all the complimentary newspapaers and then read them, chew some nicarette gum and go to sleep. Awful place.

no idea about the shopping. spent all my money on the holiday. they did let me pay for donuts in 3 different currencies which I thought was nice of them

oh and as for being hassled over a muddy bag, have you ever tried getting in to Australia? they are super militant about that kind of thing

My mate lives out their and goes through the airport every week if u want I can foward his email and u can speak to him. My email is in my profile

I lived in Dubai for 18 months so I’ve probably flown in and out of the airport in excess of 20 times. I never had any problems with customs but as above definitely don’t risk it. If you’re a drug user get rid of every trace.

To answer the OP question about the shopping. Generally Dubai airport is no cheaper than any other airport that I’ve been to but obviously it’s a hassle if you have a warranty issue when you get back to the UK.

Its big, very big. And very tacky.

That’s about right.

I go through about 6 times a year on way to China. If you are transiting security is pretty easy – don’t even need to take lap top/liquids out for inspection, but do have to take belt and watch off.
Duty Free ie extensive but expensive. I find UK Duty Free much better value.
Never been through into Dubai itself though, but I assume thats where ther security is tightest.

Guys,

I think you have answered my questions, thank you very much for the help.

Reg

oh and as for being hassled over a muddy bag, have you ever tried getting in to Australia? they are super militant about that kind of thing

yeah but for rather different reasons and very different outcomes!

Its big, very big. And very tacky.

…and that’s not just the airport.

In my experience airports are generally pretty poor places to get a good deal on anything – Dubai is no exception.

As others have said it can be a fairly unpleasant place – despite being modern it gets very crowded at peak times and someone seriously underestimated the number of toilets required…

oh and as for being hassled over a muddy bag, have you ever tried getting in to Australia? they are super militant about that kind of thing

Yeah, they took my flip flops away at Sydney airport for 10mins to clean them, which I thought was very nice of them 😉

Found this website on Dubai Airport which you may find useful.

They have lots of useful information on Dubai airport and its passenger services and facilities.

oh and as for being hassled over a muddy bag, have you ever tried getting in to Australia? they are super militant about that kind of thing

I went to Melbourne just after FootandMouth, with a mounting bicycle. Oh Lordy. Had to proper lie and tell them I’d not bin to any rural areas in the last two years. Fortunately I’d had the good sense to give the bike a clean and the tyres a scrub before packing, so they let me through, but I was told other MTBs had bin refused entry to the country. God knows what happened to them.

Dubai is a scummy greedy nasty little nation which treats many foreign workers, building all the glittering palaces for Westerners to enjoy, like dirt. Should be avoided at all costs.