The official opening of one of the world's largest and most modern in-house airport labs for processing COVID-19 RT PCR tests at Dubai International Airport on Tuesday marked a significant step forward in Dubai's efforts to improve foreign travel safety while speeding up the travel sector's restoration (DXB).

The state-of-the-art laboratory was launched by Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, because of strong collaboration between Dubai Airports, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Pure Health.

The 20,000-square-foot laboratory, located near Terminal 2, is a specialized facility for round-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples obtained from DXB passengers. The lab can handle up to 100,000 samples each day and deliver accurate results in a couple of hours, owing to the use of cutting-edge WHO-standard COVID-19 RT-PCR testing technology.

The lab has positively and negatively pressure chambers and is linked to government reporting networks, allowing for secure and quick information exchange between health and regulatory agencies and airlines.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said of the lab's opening, which comes on the heels of the declaration of the reopening of Terminal 1 and Concourse D after 15 months as part of DXB preparations, "The lab is a perfect manifestation of Dubai's cooperative approach to tackling complicated issues and achieve great results."

"The significant shift in travel standards, and the introduction of travel protocols such as PCR testing, has transformed the airport experience of passengers everywhere around the world," he noted.

As the world's biggest international gateway gets ready for a surge in passenger volume during the summer vacations and even beyond, we wanted to make the airport trip safer, easier, and faster while adhering to health regulations.

The lab's rapid turnaround time for analyzing test findings would go a long way toward assisting us in providing the service experience that the rest of the world expects from Dubai."

The Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Awad Saghir Al Ketbi, complimented the laboratory's competence and capability, and its preparedness to handle the processing of Covid-19 PCR testing.

He emphasized that the capabilities of the laboratory would significantly cut waiting times for passengers arriving in Dubai and enable the effective implementation of necessary preventative and safety actions.

Al Ketbi emphasized DHA's eagerness to broaden the scope of the lab, noting that the existence of an in-house processing facility at DXB would improve monitoring, investigation, and proactive precautionary measures implemented by the Emirate of Dubai as part of its efforts to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

"Pure Health is delighted to be an authorized partner of the UAE to assist this effort," stated Farhan Malik, Group CEO of Pure Health.

We keep striving to safeguard the safety of this nation's inhabitants, residents, and visitors by adding to a new level of healthcare that helps the people and communities among us as the country's biggest lab operator and a recognized healthcare provider.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have collaborated with the UAE government to provide the finest testing solutions, as per global quality standards and delivering speedier results, to help our partners in this fast-paced environment."