20 more smart gates open at Dubai airport
There are now 127 smart gates in the airport, slashing waiting times to under 15 seconds
Twenty more smart gates have been opened in the arrivals area of Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 1, officials said yesterday.
There are now 127 smart gates in the airport, slashing waiting times to under 15 seconds. Residents aged 15 years and older can use their Emirates ID to pass through the smart gates. The service was launched in 2017.
Almost four million UAE residents used smart gates at Dubai airport in 2017.
Michael Ibbitson, executive vice-president, Technology and Infrastructure at Dubai Airports, said: “What’s surprising is that only 17 per cent of our passengers take advantage of the service. If you have an Emirates ID card, don’t wait in line, use it. If you have a machine-readable passport, register it with immigration authorities. It will save you time and make your journey even more enjoyable.”
Brigadier General Talal Al Shanqiti, assistant directorgeneral for Ports Affairs at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, said: “Passport control is a critical process to maintain a high level of security. This new system helps us strike a balance between achieving that objective and ensuring a better experience for passengers.”
The latest smart gates were managed by Dubai Airports, GDRFA and Emaratech.