My first air travel experience was in 1970, when I flew to Jordan to attend a training course. While air travel was a complex experience, travelling by air from Dubai Airport was smooth for the passengers, despite the strict safety and security measures. This has been the approach followed by airport employees since the opening of the airport in 1960 as per the instructions of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police

Highlights

A rare partnership
Construction boom
Conflicting interests
Dubai's own airline
Dubai Airport... 10 airlines operating flights
Oil era transformations
May 15, 1965 … the first asphalt airstrip
VC 10's arrival... another feather in Dubai' cap
Famous landings on Sundays
The Indo-Pakistani war boost aircraft movements
Night flights
Down memory lane
Each touchdown of a flight ushered in hope and business opportunities
Gold imports in large quantities
A horse racetrack... a car racing against aircraft
First computer and mechanical calculator in Dnata
Training programmes for Emirati cadres
Four new improvement projects in 1968
Dubai rejoices the British withdrawl... the formation of the UAE federation
New landing instruments in 1970