Dubai: No need for passport-visa, no need to get out of the car even
Residents of Dubai, one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, will soon be able to travel abroad without a passport, visa or any travel-related documents. They can complete all the necessary travel related tasks just by showing their faces. From traveling in flying taxis to passing through smart gates on public transport, traveler’s facial recognition technology is being used.
Residents arriving and departing through Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) can go through passport control in seconds using advanced smart gates with facial recognition features. Also already being able to cross the Al Ghuwaifat border effortlessly without getting out of the vehicle. This time the issue of passport, Visa checking which is left is also going to be learned in the country of smart technology.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) has demonstrated this service including smart land border crossing system at the ongoing technology exhibition GITEX in Dubai. The country's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs is working closely with solution provider The Emara Tech to make the project a reality.
When a traveler arrives at the airport, we will have information about them in front of us,” Ahmed Baha, Emara tech's seamless check-in service manager, told local media The Khaleej Times. Our system will have their flight and visa details. At the check-in counter, travelers go through a streamlined process where their photograph is taken and their facial features are automatically scanned. We will also have detailed information about their travel. In this process their baggage check-in will take much less time. Their facial images will be used in the same way at different stages of the journey. When they reach immigration, instead of going to the counter, they can go directly to the smart gate. Again, at Smart Gate, they don't have to present any travel documents. Because their photo and face ID will serve as a substitute for the required documents.
An ICP representative at Gitex Pavilion told Khaleej Times, “The current system allows a maximum of two people in a car. We are working on programs to allow more people in a car to use this system. The system is currently operational at the Al Ghuwaifat border. However, as the next phase of this transformative initiative unfolds, it will be deployed at other border crossings near Oman”.
More than 6,000 companies and startups are showcasing their latest products and services at GITEX Global, the world's largest technology exhibition, which began on October 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
