The land port of Erenhot, the largest on the China-Mongolia border, has registered record-high numbers in inbound and outbound travelers, local authorities said Saturday.
As of 18:00 Saturday, the land port had handled 2.596 million personnel entries and exits and some 693,000 vehicles, up 9.2 and 12.6 percent year on year, respectively, according to the port's entry-exit border inspection station.
This year, travelers from more than 70 countries and regions passed through this key transportation hub, with a peak of nearly 14,000 trips in a single day.
China-Mongolia border port handles record number of international travelers
Dubai has not witnessed a large-scale departure of foreign residents despite the ongoing regional tensions since Israel and the United States started military strikes on Iran on February 28, a senior Dubai official said in an exclusive interview with the China Media Group (CMG).
The crisis, which has persisted for a month across the Gulf region, has raised concerns about the impact on Dubai -- a major tourism hub and global social media sensation.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, confirmed in the interview with CMG that while travels have declined, there has been no massive exodus of foreigners seen in the city.
"Currently, Dubai is able to ensure the normal movement of travelers, but there is still a difference compared with the period [before the conflict]. Overall numbers are not as high as before. The current number of travelers is about 60 percent of previous levels," said Marri.
Marri said that Dubai, as an international metropolis, has over 90 percent of its population made up of foreign residents. Although crisis occurred in neighboring countries, there has been no panic or large-scale evacuation of people in Dubai, he said.
He stressed that the GDRFA is operating normally in its services and management of foreigners, and that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is fully capable of handling this crisis and protecting people's safety.
Marri also expressed his optimism about the future.
"The UAE always aspires for a better, more stable, and safer future. Crisis is a part of life, and we have already been tested many times," said Marri.
No massive foreign evacuation happens in Dubai despite regional tensions
