Dubai airport gears up to ease transit for World Cup supporters

Dubai International Airport is preparing to ease transit travel for supporters of the World Cup, which would be held from November 20 to December 18.

With the World Cup to be held for the first time in a Middle Eastern country, gulf states have agreed to ease administrative procedures for fans in transit, in particular through the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths noted that they are putting together immigration procedures that should make the transition between the two countries a lot easier,

Griffiths revealed that online check-in will mean normal procedures can be bypassed and travelers can get in and out very quickly.

Before the pandemic, Dubai had the world's busiest international passenger airport.

Griffiths said there would be quite a number of flights every day during the World Cup, ferrying fans to and from Doha, the Qatari capital, without providing figures.

He also predicted that many people would travel back and forth to enjoy their leisure time in Dubai and for the matches.

Flights between the UAE and Qatar resumed in January of last year, following a diplomatic reconciliation that ended a three-year boycott.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremism.