Document-free immigration control: AI scans passengers at Dubai airport
The system uses biometric data it has recorded to identify people without them having to do anything.
BarcelonaDubai Airport has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that allows passengers to pass through immigration without having to present documents, simply by walking through a red-carpeted tunnel. The system scans each person's biometric data to identify them without requiring any paperwork, thus shortening the process, which takes only about 14 seconds.
"The new smart tunnel allows ten passengers to pass through at a time without having to present any identification documents, just by walking through the tunnel." Fatima al Mazrouei of Dubai's Directorate of Foreign Affairs explains to Reuters. The system uses the biometric data it has recorded for each passenger, and this technology reduces entry time into the country by more than 30%.
Dubbed the Red Carpet Smart Corridor, the new corridor is located in Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport, one of the busiest in the world. The system relies on facial recognition of passengers, but also analyzes biometric data such as iris and fingerprints. Identities are automatically verified, and suspected cases or those without data are referred to traditional security. For the rest, the immigration process is completed in a matter of seconds.
Not all passengers can use the new system. Eligibility depends on nationality, passport type, and visa status, and those who do not meet the requirements must still go through traditional immigration controls.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed al-Marri, director-general of the same Foreign Affairs Directorate, described the system as a "quantum leap in smart travel" during the presentation of the new corridor this weekend. He explains that the technology supports Dubai's long-term goal of offering its passengers a fully automated and seamless journey. The project follows previous deployments of biometric smart gates for airline crews, which have already demonstrated the effectiveness of this AI, according to the IDTech portal.
It was already tested in some Spanish airports, such as Menorca, in 2019. a system that identified passengers with facial recognition so there was no need to show the documentation, but for now it has not gone beyond a pilot test and has not been generalized.