Dubai’s biometric Red-Carpet processes 745,188 travellers in eight months of 2026

Dubai: Dubai’s AI-powered Red Carpet biometric border clearance system processed 745,188 passengers in the first eight months of 2026, allowing travellers to complete immigration procedures while walking through a designated corridor without presenting a passport, boarding pass or physical documents.

The service maintained a 100 per cent stop-free travel rate between January and August, as Dubai accelerated its transition towards fully automated and AI-powered border control at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

More than 25.8 million passengers travelled through DXB during the same period, with 9,382,814 travellers using smart gates to complete entry and exit procedures within seconds. More than 60 per cent of passengers completed their immigration procedures through smart gate systems, according to figures released by the Airport Passport Sector.

The figures were announced during a press conference at Dubai International Airport attended by Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai; Major General Talal Ahmed Al Shanqiti, Assistant Director General for Airport Affairs; and Colonel Expert Khalid Bin Mediya Al Falasi, Assistant Director General for Digital Services at GDRFA Dubai, along with other senior officials.

The briefing reviewed the sector’s achievements during the first eight months of 2026 and announced a new traveller service, “Click and Travel”.

Powered by facial recognition and artificial intelligence, the Red Carpet system verifies passengers’ identities in real time as they move through the designated corridor.

The technology eliminates conventional immigration checkpoints and allows multiple travellers (a round 10)to be processed simultaneously while maintaining security and operational efficiency.

The system has reduced the average border processing time from 12.5 seconds to just 3.4 seconds — a 60 per cent reduction.

It can process up to 10 travellers simultaneously, while eliminating paper documents and physical touchpoints.

The project has also attracted significant international attention. During the first eight months of 2026, it generated an estimated 3.2 billion media impressions worldwide, in addition to 446 million social media impressions.

Smart gates continue to form the backbone of Dubai’s airport immigration system, providing eligible travellers with fully contactless passport procedures that can be completed within seconds.

The Airport Passport Sector said 9,382,814 passengers used smart gates between January and August, representing more than 60 per cent of all passengers travelling through DXB during the period.

The growing use of automated immigration channels reflects increasing passenger confidence in smart border services and supports Dubai’s efforts to accommodate rising passenger volumes while reducing waiting times and improving operational efficiency.

Dubai is also operating what it describes as the world’s first dedicated passport platform for children, designed to make immigration procedures more engaging and comfortable for young travellers.

The specialised facility provides an interactive environment tailored to children while ensuring that immigration procedures are completed efficiently and securely.

Since its launch, the platform has served 2,066,195 children, including 212,746 children during the first eight months of 2026.

The Airport Passport Sector has also expanded services for People of Determination, with specialised facilities and trained personnel providing additional support throughout the immigration process.

A total of 263 passport officers and facilitators have been trained to assist travellers requiring additional support.

The services include dedicated immigration lanes, hearing-support systems and fully accessible facilities designed to provide a smooth and comfortable travel experience.

To maintain international standards, the sector hosted 15 specialised assessment delegations to evaluate accessibility measures and service quality.

Dubai’s approach to smart border management continues to draw interest from governments and organisations around the world.

During 2026, the Airport Passport Sector received 51 regional and international delegations seeking to study Dubai’s immigration systems and explore opportunities to adopt similar models in their own countries.

The sector also secured 15 local and international awards recognising innovation and excellence in border management.

Among the most prominent honours were the Hamdan bin Mohammed Programme for Smart Government Award (Second Stage) and a Stevie Award for artificial intelligence innovation.

The Red Carpet project also received a Tier 3 (InUse) Innovation Endorsement from the Global Innovation Institute and was recognised as a leading example of AI implementation at the IDC Voices of AI Innovation Forum.

Dubai continues to invest in AI and biometric technologies to deliver faster, seamless travel while maintaining high security standards.

• 25,849,432 — total passengers through DXB from January to August 2026

• 9,382,814 — passengers who used smart gates

• More than 60% — share of passengers using smart gates

• 745,188 — passengers processed through the Red Carpet service

• 3.4 seconds — average Red Carpet border processing time

• 60% — reduction in average processing time

• 10 travellers — number that can be processed simultaneously

• 212,746 — children processed through the dedicated platform in the first eight months of 2026

• 2,066,195 — total children served since the platform was launched

• 263 — trained officers and facilitators supporting People of Determination

• 15 — accessibility assessment delegations hosted

• 51 — regional and international delegations received

• 15 — local and international awards secured

• 3.2 billion — estimated global media impressions generated by the Red Carpet project

• 446 million — social media impressions generated during the first eight months of 2026