At Dubai airport, your face is your boarding pass when flying Emirates

Dubai’s Emirates airline has invested Dh85 million to install more than 200 biometrics-enabled cameras across Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB), allowing more customers to pass through check-in, immigration, boarding gates, lounges and board the aircraft, simply by facial recognition, with a quick and easy registration on Emirates app.

Eliminating the need to take out a passport and boarding pass at various points in the airport, the new biometrics initiative is a collaboration between Emirates and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigner Affairs Dubai (GDRFAD) that reduces processing time significantly for all registered customers. The powerful cameras can recognise the biometric profile of a customer from one metre away, allowing customers to walk swiftly through areas where they used to have to pause and show documents.

Whether visiting the UAE or as a resident, any Emirates customer can sign up for the swift and secure biometrics services on the Emirates app, at the Self-Service Kiosks at the airport, or at Check-In desks. Consenting to Emirates Biometrics Registration once, allows customers to skip queues and speed through the airport every time they travel, choosing the route of the dedicated Biometric Zones when flying to and from Dubai International (DXB).

“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. 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,” said Adel al Redha, Emirates' deputy president and COO.

Commenting on the collaboration, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, director general of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, said: “At GDRFA Dubai, innovation has long been part of our DNA and a cornerstone of our services. Over the years, we have integrated artificial intelligence and biometric technologies to make travel through Dubai faster, safer, and more intuitive. Our partnership with Emirates continues this path of excellence, reflecting the spirit of collaboration that defines Dubai’s government and private sectors. Together, we are shaping a seamless travel experience that embodies reputation of the United Arab Emirates in general, and Dubai in particular, for efficiency, hospitality, and digital governance.”

Customers can register using the Emirates app, or in person at check‑in desks in Dubai. Customers must be 18 years or above to register and each customer must register individually. Using the Emirates app to complete registration takes only a few minutes. Customers are required to be members of Emirates Skywards and need to simply scan their passport, ensure all passport details match their Emirates Skywards profile, and provide consent for Emirates to use details stored in the UAE General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs database.

Once a customer is registered, they can use biometric facial recognition to check‑in at kiosks whenever they fly from Dubai. Customers will soon be able to use biometrics at Connections when transferring to another Emirates flight.

Emirates customers can also skip queues at immigration by using the GDFRAD-managed smart gates at Emirates Terminal 3, every time they arrive and depart from Dubai. Customers just need to step into the smart gate, wait for a quick photo, and continue to security or baggage collection in seconds. Customers can use the smart gates if they are a UAE citizen or resident, or a GCC national, or visa-on-arrival visitor with a biometric passport.

Emirates customers eligible for lounge access may enter the lounge at Concourse B through facial recognition at five entry points. Registered customers simply approach the gate, look at the camera, and walk through to the lounge.

There is no need for registered biometrics customers to reach for their boarding pass, as they can board faster with biometric facial recognition. Some of Emirates departure gates on Concourses A, B and C have biometric boarding, with more coming soon.

If a person has visited Dubai before, or is a resident of Dubai, and has a biometric record with the GDRFAD, Emirates can match their facial image against their GDRFAD profile once the person registers. If the person does not yet have a GDRFAD profile, Emirates can create a temporary biometric profile to register consent for Emirates Biometrics. Once the person enters Dubai, the temporary profile will be converted to a GDRFAD profile and Emirates will use that next time they fly to and from Dubai. A GDRFAD profile is a digital profile created and managed by GDRFAD when a customer visits Dubai.