marhaba, part of dnata, experienced a remarkable 30% year-on-year surge in customer bookings at Dubai International (DXB) during the first half of the financial year 2023-24*, as travellers increasingly sought to enhance their journey with the airport hospitality brand’s Meet & Greet and Lounge services.

Between April and September 2023, marhaba’s dedicated team catered to over 1.2 million travellers across DXB’s three terminals. Notably, marhaba’s popular lounges attracted around 900,000 customers during the same period, reaching a peak of over 8,000 visitors on its busiest day in June.

marhaba has recently expanded its offering by launching marhaba Concierge, a one-stop shop for passengers’ last-minute requirements. Located at the Departure Halls of DXB’s Terminal 1 and 2, these concierge desks offer a comprehensive range of services, including ticket booking, travel insurance, meet & greet, lounge, visa cancellation and fast track services. Additional desks are set to be introduced within DXB’s three terminals in the near future.

Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group, said: “marhaba’s significant growth reflects Dubai’s sustained popularity and a rising demand for our quality airport hospitality services. The introduction of marhaba Concierge further expands our offering, providing travellers with swift and efficient solutions at Dubai International. We will continue to enhance our services to improve passengers’ experience throughout their airport journey.”

Meet & Greet welcomes more families

From fast-track clearance to helping with transfers and baggage, marhaba ensures a swift and safe passage for passengers through DXB. Between April and September 2023, over 210,000 customers accessed its Meet & Greet services at the airport.

Families increasingly seek out marhaba’s services for hassle-free journeys. Over the six-month period, its dedicated agents warmly welcomed and expedited over 10,000 families through airport formalities.

Popular international cuisine at marhaba’s lounges

Each of marhaba’s five, spacious DXB lounges offers superfast Wi-Fi and access to an international cuisine catering to a wide range of dietary and ethnic requirements.

Customers experiencing marhaba’s quality lounge hospitality favoured Chicken Shajahani Biryani as their most popular dish, consuming over 23 tonnes between April and September. Over 4.5 tonnes of coffee beans/bags were used to create over 450,000 cups of coffee to keep passengers active before their flight. Hungry morning travellers took on 16 tonnes of scrambled eggs as their favourite breakfast dish. Over 420,000 assorted sandwiches were also consumed, along with over 210,000 cans of soft drinks.

marhaba: world-class airport hospitality services from Dubai to the world

marhaba, which means ‘welcome’ in Arabic, was launched in the UAE to help passengers arriving in or departing from Dubai International airport. The popularity of Meet & Greet services has grown exponentially in line with Dubai’s growth as a major international travel hub, and marhaba has continually expanded its product offering with a growing list of services and extra options designed to make the passenger airport experience as comfortable as possible.