Dubai Airports / Dubai International Airport review: Staff harassment at the airport

I am resubmitting my complaint as I had picked United States instead of UAE as the country because I live in the States now. Since I didn’t receive any response on the complaint submitted same day I landed. I am resubmitting the complaint with UAE selection.

I arrived after a much delayed flight EK383 from Hong Kong.
Since the Pakistani passport holders are not allowed to use smart gates anymore one staff asked me to follow the lives of all passengers. As I did and bring a resident of Dubai and having lived there almost six years prior to moving to the States I’m quite familiar.
As I went to the front and being the only one that side I noticed one immigration staff and a line in front of him. I walked to join that and surprised at only one staff handling immigration.
Once my turn came and I gave my passport he called the officer who was on a call and after asking him three times the officer in police uniform closed the call and took my passport and asked where I’m flying from. I said Going Kong.
He asked me how I came to this line as it’s for GCC residents. I said I didn’t know that I followed the staff. He said what staff and said how you get in this one. He didn’t seem to believe me and gave me a very nasty glare.
I said talk to your staff I’m a customer what do I know.
He said wait let me get the staff and have back the passport. But that time one more staff who should have been guiding us also was there and when that staff was brought forward he asked me the same question Madam how did you end up here. I said this is the only place I saw the officer and line and came here. I followed the path. He said accusingly maybe to please the officer , maybe you went under the partitions. This made me even more upset not only after a long but delayed fight and taking nasty glares and now to save his son he’s accusing me. I said did you see me do that? Why don’t you crack your cameras?
He said I’m just saying there’s another line, and by that time surely another line has formed and a staff in the front who has appeared. Apparently behind two desks there was a third immigration desk and there was staff sitting there for non GCC like me.
I got back in that line and at my turn went through immigration.
I am appalled that my crime to be glared at and accused was accidentally stepping into the “GCC line”.
Neither the immigration officer nor the police officer had the decency, nor courtesy nor humanity to advise to use the other line. Simple as that.
I was treated like a criminal or a prisoner of war who doesn’t deserve any respect.
I hope this email doesn’t go to deaf ears. I’m very fortunate to have US residency and visit Dubai for work employed by a global company. I travel around the world and other than Australia have visited many countries in all the continents. I’ve not experienced this kind of treatment at any other airport.
Clearly they need to be trained on how to treat tired passengers who have no mal intentions and just want to go to their respective homes. The fact that the staff member who was supposed to guide was not on site needs to be investigated and either hire more staff or reassess the shift timings and breaks.
I worked in the hospitality sector briefly and quite aware how important the experience is for Dubai government to generate income through tourism and also calls its self a business hub.
I was coming from the biggest conference of produce in Asia. I not only had colleagues but an influential businessman in our little group who were waiting for me and concerned. The whole incident is communicated to the management of my company and the business partner because of their concern for my wellbeing and safety.
One incident left this impression on many that could have been handled much better by the police officer by just asking me to go to a different line.