Dubai Airport is set to replace all physical passport control stations and smart gates with facial-recognition cameras powered by artificial intelligence, allowing travelers to be continuously scanned and verified as they navigate through the terminal.
According to a senior government official, there will be no need for passengers to stop and present documents from the moment they enter the airport until they board their flights. “The concept of gates and passport corridors will be eliminated,” he stated.
This comprehensive system will confirm travelers’ biometric data, identify them, and officially record their arrival or departure during the passport control process. Khaled bin Madia Al Falasi, Deputy Assistant Director for Smart Services at Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, emphasized, “We have all the travelers’ data; we have all the citizens’ and residents’ data.”
The system will collect biometric prints as passengers pass through the airport, get off the plane, retrieve their luggage, and head to their vehicles—effectively removing the sensation of encountering border control.
The advanced Travel Without Borders program, which will be implemented in collaboration with airlines and other partners, is expected to launch “very soon” at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central, according to Al Falasi.
Initially, the network of facial-recognition cameras will cater to first-class and business-class passengers, providing them with a “seamless” travel experience through departure and arrival halls, with plans to extend the system to all travelers.
First-time visitors to Dubai airports will need to complete an app-based “pre-registration process” prior to arrival. Al Falasi explained, “We will perform a match the first time upon entry, and then they can utilize the Travel Without Borders system.”
