The Ahlan First Class Lounge is by far the best lounge at Dubai airport terminal 1, where all airlines other than Emirates and FlyDubai depart from. I was surprised to find out that my business class ticket with Oman Air on a 40 minute flight to Muscat offered access to this spectacular lounge.
How to Access
The Ahlan First Class lounge isn’t affiliated with one airline in particular. Lounge access is offered to first and business passengers traveling on a small number of airlines as well as certain credit card holders, and those who purchase access.
The Lounge
Having visited most of the lounges in this terminal over several trips to Dubai, the Ahlan First Class Lounge is by far the best, offering highly attentive service, and a large selection of food and drinks.
Lounge Entrance
After having my boarding pass checked at the front desk, I was offered a warm towel and given a brief tour of the lounge. Just beyond the entrance is an airport map showing all the aircraft activity on the tarmac which was quite interesting to watch.
The lounge was large with space for 150 – 200 guests between the lounge seating and dining areas. I decided to go straight to the main dining area to sample the food available for lunch. Guests can take food from the buffet or order from an extensive menu.
Dining Area
Lounge Prayer Rooms
Food and Drinks
While the buffet items looked great, I opted for the a la carte dining options from the lounge’s extensive food and drink selection.
Buffet
The menu read as follows (and this isn’t even the whole thing!):
There is a separate breakfast menu available in the morning hours consisting of eggs, waffles, pancakes, and Indian and Arabic traditional dishes.
I wish I could have eaten more, but I only had enough space to try the butter chicken, sashimi plate, and a cup of ice cream for dessert. All the dishes I tried were tasty, however food quality was not as good as I’ve had at top first class lounges like Cathay Pacific’s The Pier, Swiss First Class Lounge, or the Lufthansa First Class Terminal which I expected.
Bottom Line
Visiting the Ahlan First Class Lounge on this trip was really a treat. Service and food at this lounge are far better than all other lounges I’ve visited at this terminal, and I would happily spend an extended layover here enjoying more from the extensive a la carte menu!
