The problem
Flying out of Dubai meant dragging bags to the airport hours early, queuing at check-in, and waiting at the carousel on return — dead time that falls hardest on families, groups, and visitors squeezing a last shopping day out of the trip.
How it works
Travellers book DUBZ online at any hour; couriers collect bags from the home or hotel, complete airline check-in and issue boarding passes off-site, and on arrival deliver bags back to the door. Vehicles are GPS-tracked and bags pass through screened handling facilities. The startup won Intelak, the Emirates Group–GE–Dubai Tourism aviation incubator, before dnata took a majority stake in June 2018 and rolled its home check-in service out to carriers.
Pain points
Early airport arrival solely for luggage, long check-in and carousel queues, no secure bag storage between hotel checkout and flight time, and no hands-free option for group travel.
Business model
Per-bag fees for collection, storage, delivery, and home check-in, with volume driven through airline partnerships and dnata’s airport operations.
Challenges
Volumes track aviation cycles; each airline needs operational integration; and peak-season reliability has to hold while the off-site check-in footprint scales across the UAE.
Funding
- dnata acquired a majority stake in DUBZ in June 2018 (terms not disclosed) and launched home check-in services through the company.
- No public venture funding rounds disclosed.
Latest — May 2025
Dubai International Airport plans at least 25 percent of all luggage checked in from off-airport locations by 2026, with DUBZ — acquired by dnata — positioned as the delivery partner for home and hotel check-in across the UAE.