"What's surprising is that only 17 per cent of our passengers take advantage of the (smart gate) service. If you have an Emirates ID, don't wait in line - use it," said Michael Ibbitson, executive vice-president, technology and infrastructure at Dubai Airports.
"If you have a machine-readable passport, register it with the immigration authorities. It will save you time and make your journey even more enjoyable," he added.
The Dubai Airports, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and Emaratech recently completed the installation of new and enhanced smart gates at DXB Terminal 1.
Twenty new smart gates are now fully operational in the arrivals area of Terminal 1, in addition to the 10 installed last year in the departure area. In total, 127 smart gates are available across the entire airport, reducing the average transaction time from minutes to under 10-15 seconds.
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. More than 5.5 million travellers used the smart gates at DXB during 2017.
All UAE residents who are older than 15 years can use their Emirates ID to pass through the smart gates since the new service was launched in 2017.
The launch of the new smart gates coincides with the start of UAE's Month of Innovation, which is being observed from February 1 to 28 in response to a call last year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, 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," Ibbitson explained.
Brigadier General Talal Al Shanqiti, GDRFA assistant director-general for ports affairs, said: "The new smart gates in Terminal 1 Arrivals area is part of an integrated development project to provide passengers with facilities that make their travel through Dubai International Airport quick and easy. Passport control is a critical process, as part of which maintaining a high level of security is our top priority. This new system helps us strike a balance between achieving that objective while also ensuring a better experience for the passengers through speed and efficiency."
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