The air transport industry in Dubai has seen a great deal of growth in recent years, in terms of cargo volumes, passenger numbers, and routes, regarding the number of passengers and cargo being transported. Due to its reputation as a global aviation hub and its central location, Dubai has the unique ability to provide unparalleled travel connectivity between one-third of the world's population. In addition to being the fourth most visited city in the world, Dubai has established itself as a major travel and tourism hub on a global scale.
As reported by the Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai, the number of international overnight visitors to Dubai during the period January through June of 2022 grew by more than 183% in comparison to the 2.52 million tourists that visited Dubai during that period in 2021. It is estimated that Dubai welcomes 7.12M overnight visitors in Jan - Jun 2022, with Indians making up the majority with 858K of those guests.
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A major source of revenue in Dubai is the tourism sector, which is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Dubai is not only about tourism, but it also offers jobs to people from all around the world. In recent years, this city has established itself as one of the Middle East's leading business hubs. As a result of its diverse and rapidly growing economy, the country has seen incredible growth over the last few decades. Immigration into the country has been one of the major contributors to the increase in the country's economy and population. It was reported that Dubai's non-oil external trade reached US$272 billion in the first nine months of 2019, of which 119 billion was attributed to its free zones. Dubai's GDP has been steadily growing over the past few decades due to a variety of factors including retail, wholesale, transports and storages, finance and insurance, manufacturing, and real estate.
Dubai is located in the southern part of the UAE, with Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman to the southeast. Because of its unique geographic location, the city enjoys a strategic position that has allowed it to establish connections to every Gulf State, as well as East Africa and South Asia. This region has experienced enormous geographic changes since the United Arab Emirates was founded in 1971 and has had an impact on many fields and the entire quality of life in the region as a whole.
Several strategic factors related to Dubai's geographic location have considerably influenced the development and functioning of the Dubai aviation sector. In order to maintain its position as a world-class air transportation centre, Dubai has taken a number of steps to ensure that it remains the preferred destination for travelers worldwide. A strong relationship has been established between the Dubai Emirate and many Eastern and Western countries in terms of the movement of passengers, cargo, and aircraft on a regional and global scale. As one of the world's strongest aviation sectors and a major contributor to Dubai's economy, Dubai's aviation sector is one of the most successful in the world. This sector consists of the fast-growing Emirates Airline, as well as other foreign carriers and Dubai Airports Company and Dubai Ground Handling Company.
As of today, the aviation industry supports 125,000 jobs. Furthermore, it supports an additional 134,000 jobs that are primarily related to the country's tourism industry. Approximately 22% of Dubai's total employment is accounted for by this sector. There has been an enormous development in the air travel industry in Dubai over the last 20 years. The development of commercial networks and the movement of people in the Gulf region are pushed forward by air transportation. In addition to the geographic location of Dubai and other factors such as the enactment of the "open skies" policy in the early 20th century, Dubai has seen rapid growth in the number of passengers, airplanes, and cargo carried by national as well as international carriers over the last few decades. Since the area has undergone a significant geographical change in the 20th century, greater spatial integration and greater progression have resulted from freight activities passing through the airport.
A significant investment has been made by the government of Dubai in supporting infrastructure, including the development of the Dubai International Financial Centre. Located adjacent to the nearby Dubai International Airport, this centre is a financial free zone that provides the necessary legal, business and physical infrastructure to encourage foreign direct investment and business development. As a result of economic growth and geographic development, Dubai has entered a new era of air transportation. A growing aviation industry increased Dubai's gross domestic product (GDP) by 27% and its employment by 21% in 2014. A substantial amount of funds has been invested by the government of Dubai in developing its infrastructure since it won the right to host Expo 2020.
As Dubai has become more and more connected to the rest of the world, the level of connectivity has become one of the factors Dubai has been paying attention to. In addition to hosting more than one hundred airlines, Dubai International Airport (DXB) offers flights to more than 260 destinations throughout the world. An important feature of the airport is its location: it is within four hours of a flying distance of one-third of the world's population and within eight hours of two-thirds. A billion passengers have passed through the airport in the past 58 years and has become a go-to stopover destination for many travelers around the world. Due to Dubai's geographic location, the aviation sector has benefited a lot.
One of Dubai's main attractions is its location in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula. Despite this, Dubai's tourism, trade, and commerce sectors are interconnected with Dubai's aviation sector, which has developed clear synergies in its growth as the success of Dubai's aviation industry has boosted the growth of other sectors, which has, in turn, resulted in an increase in demand for air transportation. As one of the world's largest aviation hubs, Dubai International Airport (DXB) serves as an important travel hub not only the UAE but also the entire globe. Several factors have played a role in the development of air services in Dubai, which led to the establishment of the first airport by the ruler of Dubai in 1959 at the request of Dubai's merchants, which was the beginning of the development of air services in Dubai. Later on, it has been suggested that the development of the Dubai International Airport (DXB) would be key to the development of infrastructure and facilities in the surrounding areas of the city. As part of its overall development strategy, the Dubai government intends to promote this sector for future development in the region.
Dubai Airport, as a major contributor to the overall economic growth of the UAE as a whole, has had a significant impact on the development of Dubai. As a result of a strong fourth quarter, Dubai International Airport (DXB) eclipsed its own forecast and retained the title of the world's busiest international hub for the eighth consecutive year by adding 12.7% to annual passenger traffic in 2021. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the main hub for Emirates. Over the summer travel months of July and August, Emirates handled nearly 1.2 million passengers at its hub, in comparison to 402,000 passengers during the same period in 2020, reflecting a safe and smooth return to international travel to and through Dubai.
IATA reports that, as of 2020, Emirates was the largest international airline, carrying over 15.8 million passengers, making it the world's largest airline. In addition to this growth being an indication of global air transport demand, Dubai's geographical location plays a major role in this growth as well. The majority of Emirates aircraft are equipped with modern technology that could help accelerate global mobility through Dubai and make it a major hub for air transportation. The current fleet of Emirates Airlines consists of 73 Airbus A380 aircraft, which can transport 500 passengers and travel for more than 17 hours without refueling. A means of transportation such as this would be able to facilitate the movement of tourists from distant locations, such as the Americas, Asia, and Australia, into Dubai.
The Government of Dubai has always been keen to capitalize on its unique geographic location in order to develop urban infrastructure and services tailored to their needs and logistics. Using the synergy between air and sea transport to enhance Dubai's image, the city strengthens global trade and receives more opportunities in different fields. Within a short period of time, Dubai's aviation industry has built up a considerable market for air transportation, and contributes a significant amount to its GDP. The role of human factors in Dubai cannot be overlooked in addition to its geographic location. The development of the integration of air transport with the location of Dubai has been directly influenced by decisions made on the basis of human factors. Dubai has benefited in many ways from the establishment of a national carrier (Emirates Airlines). As a result of its collaboration with its partner airlines, Emirates has created an international city with more than 220 destinations across a wide range of multicultural countries in a relatively short period of time.