The emirate of Dubai saw 1,777,913 passengers pass through its sea, air, and land ports from December 23, 2018 through January 1, 2019, a media report said.

Up to 1,643,095 fliers used the emirate's airports, while 102,829 travellers used the land ports, with seaports seeing 31,989 passengers, reported state news agency Wam, citing statistics issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (DNRD).

Smart gates across the Dubai airports' departure and arrival terminals during the same period saw the traffic of 287,923 travellers coming to and departing from the emirate.

A record of 111,218 passengers arrived on December 28, while December 29 saw a record of 93,652 leaving the emirate in yet a new sign of the competitive edge boasted by the UAE in general and Dubai in particular as one of the world's busiest international tourist hubs on account of its profound socio-economic potential.

The UAE Cabinet in 2018 announced a number of measures to boost visitor numbers, including a new transit visa policy allowing all passengers travelling through the country’s airports an exemption from entry fees for a 48-hour visit.

Separately, Dubai Tourism is working on a scheme to lure passengers from Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international passenger traffic, into the city and has announced a number of discount incentives for visitors. The emirate hopes to attract 20 million tourists a year by 2020 from 15.79 million in 2017.