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Video: Now, experience virtual Dubai at DXB airport

Dubai - Transit passengers are the core target so that the people not only pass through the airport but also get a feel of the city.

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Millions of visitors coming to Dubai International Airport will have a unique experience soon where they will be able to take selfies with the emirate's landmarks, historical area and the desert, without leaving the airport.
This was revealed on February 13, during an event to inaugurate Dubai Airports' new brand identity. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and CEO of Emirates Group; and Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, attended the event. An aerial stunt was also conducted to mark the event.

Welcome to the airport with the X-Factor. Welcome to DXB.@XDubai #destinationDXB pic.twitter.com/uSmenNHTTM
- Dubai International (@DXB) February 13, 2019

Matt Horobin, director, brand and digital, Dubai Airports, said the 3D imageries of the city's sights and sounds will be placed at Terminal 3 Concourse B initially where the passengers - including those transiting - will be able to take selfies with.
"We are arranging different versions. For example, there will be selfie spot concepts where you can effectively take selfies as if you're at the top of Burj Khalifa - designed through graphics. There will be virtual concepts as well which shows as if you checked in to those locations. With the 3D photography, you can capture the best selfies of the city without leaving the airport. There will be a range of landmarks as well as aspects and elements of the city; so there will be desert and beach concept and old town as well - giving you the tour of the city without leaving the airport," Horobin told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the event.
"It is about bringing more sense and spirit of the city into the airport."
He revealed that all passengers will be able to capture selfies with these 3D imageries. "Transit passengers are the core target so that the people not only pass through the airport but also get a feel of the city."
He noted that work on the 3D imagery is under way across the airport and will be completed over the next 46 weeks. Initially, it will be rolled out at Terminal 3 Concourse B and later to other places across the airport.
"We are trying to create a heart-led and emotive experience for passengers, something that is engaging, memorable and remarkable, which they can relate it to their friends," Horobin noted.
Rated as the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic since 2014 when it overtook London's Heathrow Airport, Dubai International scaled new heights in 2018 as the number of passengers reached 89.1 million last year as compared to 88.2 million in the previous year, an increase of 1 per cent.
Dubai Airports said that in addition to landmarks, DXB will feature an array of music, art, dance and even fashion exhibitions that showcase local culture and celebrate diversity. It will also feature zones throughout the airport's concourses that cluster together retail, F&B and themed attractions to cater to DXB's diverse customer base.
"In Dubai, we continuously strive to be at the forefront of the industry globally and to lead the way with unwavering ambition, innovation and timely investment. Aviation, tourism and travel have been fundamental in Dubai's growth story and we believe this investment will yield further dividends by encouraging repeat traffic and enticing connecting passengers to visit Dubai," said Sheikh Ahmed.
"We recently welcomed our billionth customer at DXB, which was a remarkable milestone. Today, we are making a clear statement that will ensure DXB continues to be one of the world's most innovative and forward-thinking airports for years to come," he added.
Paul Griffiths said the new DXB brand reflects fresh direction and truly transform DXB into the airport of the future, one that is led by a more customer-centric approach, that incorporates the hospitality, excitement, warmth and true spirit of Dubai.
"The new brand represents the ways in which we connect the world, not only by physically facilitating access to over 220 destinations around the world, but by transporting our customers through their experience of different cultures, food, music and art," he said.
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com