Dubai boasts a number of world records, from the tallest building, to the deepest swimming pool.
But now, this glitzy city in the UAE has got another world first under its belt: a first-of its kind passport control tunnel that travellers walk through without stopping — or showing any documents.
Dubbed the ‘red carpet corridor’, it uses AI, biometric cameras and flight data to recognise passengers, or any suspicious luggage.
This means, you don’t need to show your passport or boarding pass, and allows travellers to get through the security process in just six to 14 seconds.
Ten people can walk through it at once — ideal for families or big groups —but you do need to have registered your passport details and provided a photo in advance.
Sign up to The Getaway newsletter
Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here.
Developed by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai in collaboration with Dubai Airports, bosses say they’re ‘enhancing the traveller experience at Dubai International Airport.’
Brigadier Walid Ahmed Saeed, assistant deputy director for airport affairs at GDRFA Dubai, said: ‘Just by walking through this corridor, you have completed your exit.’
Currently, the high-tech tunnel is only available at Terminal 3 Business Class departures, but bosses have said it will soon be available in the arrivals hall too.
Dubai Airport announced plans for the smart tunnel back in February 2024, initially anticipating its launch that same year. However, the tech was finally introduced into the travel hub at the end of August this year.
And, it’s not the only major travel hub that has some high-tech clearance systems.
Back in October 2024, Singapore’s Changi Airport also rolled out a ‘passport-less’ concept, which again uses AI and biometrics.
Travellers must still present their passports upon arrival but can use the passport-less system for departure, provided their biometric data was captured on arrival.
And, back in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport hopes to introduce its Smart Travel Project, which aims to install biometric sensors in every identification checkpoint of the airport, from check-in counters to immigration booths, duty-free tills, airline lounges and boarding gates.
The technology is already in use at certain points of the airport, including on flights operated by its partner airline Etihad, yet it plans to expand across the airport, according to CNN.
‘We’re expanding nine touchpoints and this would be a world first,’ Andrew Murphy, chief information officer at Abu Dhabi Airport told the outlet.
The future of Dubai Airport
Dubai Airport might be getting some major AI upgrades, but its future looks uncertain.
Despite it being a major travel hub, its CEO confirmed the airport is set to close — but don’t panic, it won’t be happening for a while yet.
Boss Paul Griffiths explained that once Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) begins operating, there will be no need for both to remain open.
‘There is little sense in operating two major hubs with such close proximity to one another,’ he said. ‘We will move every single service to DWC.’
Speaking at industry event, Arabian Travel Market, back in May, Paul also pointed out that 65-year-old Dubai International (DXB) is getting too old to maintain.
In answering a question from Skift, he said: ‘By then, every single asset at DXB will be close to the end of its useful operating role, so the economics of keeping DXB open will not be possible unless we invest a huge amount of money.’
While no specific date was given for the closure of Dubai International, we do know that the new and improved Al Maktoum is scheduled to open in 2032, and won’t be fully completed until the 2050s – so there’s life in DXB yet.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
