The spectacular centrepiece of a US$540 million expansion program for the opening years of the 21st century, Dubai International Airport's new Sheikh Rashid Terminal welcomed its first airline customers and their awestruck passengers in April 2000 - and already it is making its mark as a major factor in Dubai's development as one of the world's premier aviation hubs.
    At the informal opening, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, hailed the new concourse as a master piece of architectural and technological innovation that would attract ever-increasing numbers of airlines and passengers to Dubai.
    "It is one of our most important infrastructural projects of the past decade, "he said," and its benefits to Dubai's continued development as a business and leisure destination will be enormous."
    Already the biggest airport in the Middle East in terms of passenger numbers, and one of the fastest growing in the world, according to ACI traffic statistics, Dubai International Airport is currently served by more than 90 airlines that link the business and leisure hub of the Middle East with more than 130 destinations worldwide.
    Over the past 10 years, passenger throughput has grown by a phenomenal 136 per cent, rising from 4.5 million in 1989 to nearly 11 million in 1999, and is forecast at 12 million for the year 2000 - some 2.5 million of whom will be passengers on flights using Terminal 2, which opened in 1998 as the first major part of the new expansion program.
    With the opening of Sheikh Rashid Terminal. capacity is increased to 22 million; this will more than double to 45 million when a third terminal - modelled on the new concourse - is built. Work on this is set to begin in 2003.
    Sheikh Rashid Terminal has won wide acclaim as a feat of modern design and engineering: it is five storeys high, 800 meters in length and covers an area of 148,200 square meters. Under the supervision of consultants International Bechtel and the DCA engineering Department, work was carried out 24 hours a day over the final 18 months of the construction period to ensure the terminal met its 'soft' opening deadline. Long, low and sleek like fuselage of a supersonic jetliner, the terminal has a futuristic design that reflects its purpose as a concourse for the 21st century.
    "It is truly a magnificent building that gives us cause for great period," said Sheikh Ahmed. "But it is more than just beautiful. It is also a high-tech, purpose-designed facility that confers immediate benefits on airlines and their passengers."
    With 27 boarding gates and 47 airbridges for direct boarding and disembarkation, the terminal improves aircraft turnaround times by providing an ultra-efficient infrastructure for departing and arriving passengers. Turnaround time is also improved by the terminal's close proximity to the airport's two runways, each which can accommodate the biggest passenger jets in service today - and aircraft as big as the new 500 passenger Airbus 3XX when it comes into service.
    Already considered one of the safest airports in the world today, high-tech developments that have accompanied the building of the new terminal further enhance Dubai International Airport's capabilities to ensure the safe arrival and departure of aircraft. The airport's new, 84-meter-high air traffic control tower is equipped with the very latest in air and ground radar monitoring systems, in addition to which runway and perimeter lighting systems have been extended and upgraded.
    Parallel with the building of the new concourse, the original Terminal 1 building has been extensively refurbished and remodelled to ensure that the ever increasing numbers of passengers using Dubai International Airport can complete arrival and departure formalities in the fastest possible time.
    The arrivals area now has a total of 32 immigration desks, seven sloped and wide-bodied baggage carousels and four customs check points, all helping to ensure rapid completion of formalities, The departures area has been more than doubled in size and now provides a total of 221 check-in counters - 42 of which are dedicated to Emirates - and 14 passport control desks.
    Terminal 1 is linked to Sheikh Rashid Terminal by 300-meter-long underground tunnel equipped with moving walkways, as well as electric buggies for the convenience of the elderly or infirm.
    All the way through to the boarding gates, passengers are guided by clear signage and large-screen monitors incorporating the latest state-of-the-art technology, detailing destinations, gate numbers and ancillary information. Arriving passengers and those in transit also benefit from high-tech information displays.
    The easy-flow design of Sheikh Rashid Terminal averts any danger of aircraft being held on the tarmac because of slow processing of transit passengers - who account for a high proportion of travellers using the airport. Transit passengers may now proceed directly to the holding lounge for their onward flight, via one of four transit gates in the terminal. Transit can be accomplished in minutes; and of course passengers with a lengthy stopover time can enjoy all the amenities of the new concourse.
    The efficiency of the entire airport complex has been further improved with the building of a new road network, both to make access easier and to accommodate the increasing volumes of road traffic expected in future years. Areas surrounding the airport approaches are being landscaped to give  a pleasing effect of colour and shade.
    Two car parks provide a total of 1,700 spaces at the airport. The new Car Park B is located  across the main highway that runs adjacent to the airport and is connected to the arrivals and departures building by two air-conditioned pedestrian bridges, both with moving walkways and spacious baggage lifts.
    Airlines using Dubai International Airport now know that the magnificent Sheikh Rashid Terminal provides their passengers with facilities and leisure amenities that are among the best in the world: indeed, the terminal is seen by many as almost a destination in its own right.
    Major features within the terminal include a 5,400-square-meter shopping complex, operated by the award-winning Dubai Duty Free, and a 100-room five-star hotel for the convenience and comfort of long-haul passengers with lengthy stopover times.
    The duty-free complex is in the very center of the departures level, and its attractive, innovative design, with boutique-style displays, adds to the pleasure of shopping. Many passengers already choose to travel via Dubai specifically for duty-free shopping; the superb new complex - four times bigger than the previous departures shopfloor in Terminal 1 - gives them even more reason to include Dubai in their travel itineraries.
    The Dubai International Hotel has all the facilities that travellers would expect of a five-star city hotel, including spacious, comfortable guest rooms, a fully-equipped business center, state-of-the-art health club and an international restaurant. Since it is an integral part of the new concourse, arriving passengers can check in to their rooms literally within minutes of disembarkation from the aircraft.
    Bright and airy, with tropical plants and palm trees complementing its stunning modern architecture, Sheikh Rashid Terminal is a travel experience to be enjoyed by all. Passenger comfort is paramount, and the terminal's wide range of amenities ensures that airline passengers using Dubai International Airport are relaxed and happy passengers.
    Departure level facilities include First class and Business Class lounges provided by both the Department of Civil Aviation and by major airlines  using the airport, including Emirates, Air France, British Airways, Gulf Air, KLM and members of the Star Alliance serving Dubai - currently Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai International Airways. Emirates provides both a First Class lounge and a Business Class Lounge, each with private rooms equipped with showers, and a business center with Internet-linked PCs.
    The Food Court in the new concourse offers travellers the world on a plate in spacious surroundings. The choice includes fast-foods from McDonald's, KFC or Round Table Pizza; pastries, croissants and coffee from Le Matin Francais; or main-course dining at the Lebanese Bistro, the Indian Jashan restaurant and the Oriental Tansu Kitchen. There is a separate Star Bucks coffee corner, while adults may prefer the hospitality of the terminal's high Irish Village, which has been modelled on the hugely-popular meeting place at the Dubai Aviation Club.