Dubai Airports, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, GDRFA, and Emaratech have announced the completion of the installation of new and enhanced smart gates at Dubai International, DXB, Terminal 1.
According to a report by WAM, DXB now has an array of 20 of the new smart gates that are fully operational in the arrivals area of Terminal 1 in addition to the 10 installed last year in departures.
In total, some 127 smart gates are available across the entire airport reducing average transaction times from minutes to under 10-15 seconds, said the report.
The launch of the new smart gates coincides with the start of UAE’s Month of Innovation, in response to a call last year by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to celebrate innovators and promote a culture of innovation.
“Dubai Airports is always looking at opportunities for innovation that makes the journey smoother and more comfortable for our customers. Smart Gates do just that by slashing transaction times to just 10-15 seconds and shortening queues,” said Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President, Technology & Infrastructure at Dubai Airports.
Brigadier General Talal Al Shanqiti, Assistant Director-General for Ports Affairs at GDRFA in Dubai, said, that surprisingly only 17 percent of passengers take advantage of the service.
Smart gates do not require a dedicated card and can identify a traveller by either their passport, Emirates ID, e-gate card or a QR barcode generated via the GDRFA smartphone app.
“The installation of the new smart gates in Terminal 1 arrivals area is part of an integrated development project to provide passengers with facilities and services that make their travel through Dubai International a quick and easy,” Al Shanqiti.
Smart gates do not require a dedicated card and can identify a traveller by either their passport, Emirates ID, e-gate card or a QR barcode generated via the GDRFA smartphone app. Smart gates can be used by UAE citizens and residents, GCC nationals and passport holders from a number of countries that are eligible for visa on arrival.
“If you have a UAE residency 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,” Al Shanqiti.
