Dubai, in line with its efforts to enhance safe international travel while accelerating the recovery of the travel sector, has opened one of the world’s largest in-house airport labs for processing COVID-19 RT PCR tests at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
The lab was established as the outcome of cooperation between Dubai Airports, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and lab operator Pure Health. Located close to Terminal 2, the 20,000 square-foot laboratory is a dedicated facility for round-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples collected from passengers at DXB.
According to Dubai Airports, the lab can process 100,000 samples daily using the latest WHO-standard COVID-19 RT-PCR testing equipment and provide results in just a few hours.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman & CEO Emirates
“The drastic change in travel norms and the introduction of travel protocols including PCR testing have changed the airport experience of travelers around the world. As the world’s busiest international hub preparing for a surge in passenger traffic over the summer holidays and beyond, we were keen to make sure that the airport journey is safer, smoother, and faster while fulfilling the required health protocols.”
The lab opening coincides with DXB’s plans to reopen its main terminal this week and hire about 3,500 people as it prepares for an expected surge in traffic during the coming months. About 66 airlines currently using Terminals 2 and 3 will gradually move their operations to Terminal 1 from June 24.
The lab is linked to government reporting platforms ensuring secure and easy sharing of information between health and regulatory authorities and airlines, according to DXB’s statement.
The laboratory’s capabilities will greatly help reduce waiting times for passengers arriving in Dubai and allow authorities to effectively implement relevant preventive and safety procedures, Awad Saghir Al Ketbi, director-general of the DHA, said.
“As the largest lab operator in the country and an established healthcare provider, we are aiming to secure the safety of this nation’s citizens, residents and visitors by contributing to a new standard of healthcare that benefits the people and communities around us,” Farhan Malik, group chief executive of Pure Health, said.
