Dubai airport records Pakistan as its fourth-highest market with 3.2 million passengers

Dubai International Airport (DXB) welcomed 3.2 million passengers from Pakistan during the first nine months of 2025, according to figures released by Dubai Airports. That volume places Pakistan as the airport’s fourth-largest market, ahead of the United States. 

The airport handled a record 24.2 million passengers in July–September, marking a 1.9 % yearly increase and the highest quarterly traffic in Dubai’s 65-year history. For the January to September period, total traffic reached 70.1 million passengers, up 2.1 % from the same period last year. 

India topped the list with 8.8 million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia at 5.5 million and the United Kingdom at 4.6 million while Pakistan’s 3.2 million placed it ahead of the United States. 

Dubai Airports highlighted that millions of Pakistanis use DXB for a range of purposes, like tourism, business travel, family visits, employment and onward transit to Europe, the Middle East and North America. The strong demand reflects Pakistan’s position as a significant tourism and labour-mobility partner for the UAE. 

Operational performance also remained strong. In the third quarter, 99.6 % of departing passengers cleared passport control within 10 minutes, and 99.8 % of arriving passengers waited less than 15 minutes. 

To meet rising demand, especially from South Asian travellers, Dubai is upgrading facilities at Terminals 1 and 3 to expand capacity and reorganize passenger flows at its hub. 

The upward trend highlights Dubai’s role not only as a global aviation hub but also as a vital gateway for Pakistani travellers in particular, strengthening ties between Pakistan and the UAE’s aviation and tourism sectors.