Dubai: A number of new projects and state-of-the-art technology dedicated to heightening security and streamlining traffic flow will soon be implemented across all of Dubai’s ports, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) revealed on Wednesday.
The projects were discussed during a meeting with department-heads on Tuesday at the Officers Club at the GDRFA headquarters. The meeting comes as part of a monthly initiative aimed at enhancing communication at the management level and quality-of-service indicators.
Colonel Talal Ahmad Shanqeeti, Assistant to the Director General for airports, said that among the new technologies in place to streamline travel procedures was the ‘Eyen’ verification system, which he said will be soon applied to 99 per cent of airports in the country.
Eyen, which means guard, sight, noble and people of the region in Arabic, has been integrated in the new intelligent travel gate. The system also maintains highest level of security using the latest iris recognition technology, which requires just two seconds on average to complete a scan.
During his presentation at the meeting, Colonel Shanqeeti also highlighted an electronic interchange system that allows countries to assess a traveller’s risk factor before boarding the plane.\ The system cross-references travellers on a unified database, which captures travellers’ data through passports, online booking and reservation system, and a global distribution system. The Advance Passenger Information System (Apis) is now fully implemented and operational in all airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“We are also planning to replace all the counters at Dubai airports, fitting them with the latest technologies which will expedite traveller procedures,” Col Shangeeti said, adding that a next-generation smart gate will be implemented soon, which will minimise waiting time for travellers.
“The technologies will both ease procedures for travellers and immigration officers,” he said.
