18 smart gates fully operational at Dubai airport

DUBAI: Eighteen new smart gates are now fully operational at Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport which will complete the immigration process within seven to 10 seconds.

This was announced by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in a statement.

The GDRFA said the smart gates will ensure that travelers no longer had to stop at the passport control in Dubai, home to one of the busiest airports in the world.

While launching the gates, DG GDRFA Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said,

"These exclusive smart gates have resulted in the development of intelligent projects at the Dubai International Airports.

The GDRFA seeks to achieve the vision of making the UAE one of the best countries in the world in terms of security and safety."

Ten of the gates have been set up in the arrivals area, and the rest in departures.

With these, Dubai airports now have a total of 122 smart gates - 30 in Terminal 1, 18 in Terminal 2, 64 in Terminal 3, and 10 at Al Maktoum International Airport.

A traveler needs to scan his passport at the gate and look at the camera to scan his face to pass through the smart gates.

By 2030, the smart gates at Dubai airports will replace passport officials' platforms with a view to reducing the human involvement factor.

Travelers can walk through the smart gates by using their biometric passports, Emirates ID and smartphone after installing the UAE Wallet application.