Dubai International Airport launches Ahlan at ATM

The service, which can be availed on payment of a nominal charge, covers the arrival process from moment the passenger gets off the plane all the way to the meeting point for meeters-and-greeters. "Passengers using the service are received immediately after deplaning by an Ahlan escort, who then guides them directly to the dedicated Ahlan Lounge. While the passengers relax with tea, coffee or soft beverages at the plush lounge, Ahlan staff have their immigration procedure completed. The passengers are then guided to the baggage carousel where the Ahlan escort collects their luggage and leads them to the Customs check area. Following the customs check, passengers are then escorted to the meeting point where well-wishers finally receive them," Huraiz Bin Huraiz, Director of Commercial Directorate at DCA explained.

He pointed out that the entire process is quick and takes the hassle out of the arrival end of travel, speeding up procedures by offering dedicated services.

"The Ahlan escort relieves passengers of any cabin baggage they are carrying as soon as they step off an aircraft, while a golf cart whisks them away to the Lounge. Arriving passengers do not need to queue up at the visa collection point; they can collect the original visa at the Lounge, which houses a passport control counter and is also equipped with retina scanning machine for the immigration process, if required,"

Bin Huraiz explained.

He added, "To make it more convenient for the passengers, their involvement in collection of luggage from the carousel is limited to identifying the baggage for the Ahlan staff to tag and trolley it to the customs counter."

According to Bin Huraiz passengers are not 'handed over' from one escort to another at any point in the whole process, making it smoother for the passengers. "We have designed the system so that each case is handled by escort(s) assigned to the task," he explained.

The Ahlan arrival assistance service is open to individuals, tourist groups and corporate groups, and can be booked at a very short notice of minimum three hours before the arrival time. As part of the service, well-wishers applying for the Ahlan service can also be provided access up to the Ahlan lounge inside the airport to receive their arriving family or friends.

Ahlan had a soft opening earlier this month and until recently the service was being provided to hotels on a complimentary basis. Since Ahlan opened its dedicated counter in the arrival hall in April, the number of enquiries has been rising steadily. With a multilingual staff of 23 at present, the team at Ahlan expects the demand will rise further compelling them to double the service capacity.