Dubai's Busy Tourist Season Breaks Lost Items Record.

Sometimes the busiest moments of travel create the strangest stories; like the black coat that was left behind at Dubai International Airport on New Year's Eve, which contained over 30,000 euros in cash.

This coat was handed over to the police by an airport staff member on the last day of 2025; its pockets held 30,570 euros, equivalent to about 122,000 dirhams, along with some coins. Despite the official report being filed, no one came to claim it.

However, this is just one of thousands of lost items in the UAE. According to statistics from the UAE Ministry of Interior, last year there were over 22,000 reports of lost items and more than 36,000 reports of found items; statistics that show airports, especially Dubai Airport, have become one of the main points for reporting lost belongings.

Among the lost items, identification cards are by far the most common, followed by passports. In contrast, cash has been the most frequently found item.

Interestingly, of the more than 36,000 items found across the UAE, over 99% were recorded in Dubai alone, with Dubai International Airport being involved in more than 34,000 cases.

The month of December, coinciding with the peak of the winter tourist season, has been the busiest month for reporting lost and found items; it seems that amidst the rush of travel, some travelers leave behind more than just memories in Dubai.

Source: Gulf Times

✨ What is the strangest item you have left behind at the airport?