Emirates invests $23 million in facial recognition technology at Dubai International
November 4, 2025
Emirates has announced a significant step toward fully biometric airport processing, investing AED 85 million ($23 million) to install more than 200 cameras across Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The new system enables passengers to move through check-in, immigration, boarding gates, and lounges using facial recognition alone—without needing to show passports or boarding passes.
The project, developed in partnership with the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigner Affairs – Dubai (GDRFAD), is designed to reduce processing times and improve passenger flow through one of the world’s busiest international airports. Emirates says its high-definition cameras can identify registered travellers from about one metre away, allowing them to walk through checkpoints without stopping.
Emirates introduces seamless travel from app to aircraft
Any Emirates passenger—resident or visitor—can register for the service via the Emirates app, self-service kiosks, or at airport check-in desks. Registration requires Emirates Skywards membership, a passport scan, and consent for biometric use.
Once enrolled, customers can opt to use the dedicated Biometric Zones when flying to and from DXB, bypassing traditional document checks.
- Biometric Check-in: Customers can use facial recognition to check in at kiosks for departing flights.
- Smart Gates: At immigration, UAE citizens, residents, GCC nationals, and visa-on-arrival visitors with biometric passports can use GDRFAD-managed Smart Gates for rapid entry or exit.
- Lounge Access: Eligible passengers can enter Emirates’ Concourse B Lounge through five facial-recognition gates.
- Biometric Boarding: Dedicated gates at Concourses A, B, and C allow customers to board without showing boarding passes.
“With our latest Biometrics Path development, Emirates has invested in further innovations to enhance the customer travel experience, providing remarkable speed, efficiency, and accuracy at Terminal 3 in Dubai International Airport,” said Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer. “Since 2017, we have been working in collaboration with the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai to upgrade our equipment and implement the latest technologies, ensuring that our customers enjoy a world-class, seamless journey.”
Public-private partnership powering airport innovation
Emirates stated that biometric data is processed in cooperation with GDRFAD. For travellers already in the UAE immigration database, Emirates matches facial images against their official records. For first-time visitors, the airline creates a temporary biometric profile—converted to a GDRFAD record after arrival—for use on future trips.
Dubai Airports’ biometric expansion aligns with UAE’s broader smart travel strategy to make airports paperless and frictionless.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFAD – Dubai, described the collaboration as part of the emirate’s broader strategy for digital transformation.
“At GDRFA Dubai, innovation has long been part of our DNA and a cornerstone of our services,” he said. “Over the years, we have integrated artificial intelligence and biometric technologies to make travel through Dubai faster, safer, and more intuitive.”
Al Marri added that the partnership “reflects the spirit of collaboration that defines Dubai’s government and private sectors,” positioning Dubai as a global model for efficient, digitally enabled border management.
Global airlines are increasingly turning to biometrics to streamline passenger handling and strengthen security. In the US, there has been some push back from lawmakers concerned over the privacy implications of biometric technology, with a possible ban making its way through Congress.
Emirates’ collaboration with GDRFA DXB towards paperless travel is among the most extensive applications of biometric technology to date and will serve as a proof of concept for other global airlines and airports.
Featured Image: Emirates
