Flying through Dubai Airport soon? Here’s what happens to laptops and liquids

Dubai: Dubai International Airport (DXB) is rolling out more advanced security scanners that will allow passengers to keep laptops, liquids and other items inside their hand luggage, as the airport continues a major technology upgrade aimed at making security checks faster and less intrusive.

The development continues the programme first reported by Gulf News last year, when Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said trials were underway with new-generation screening equipment.

Now, Griffiths says the rollout is already happening, with new machines being installed across the airport as Dubai Airports gradually replaces its older security technology.

“We’re reinvesting in new technology security machines, so you don’t have to take liquids or laptops out of bags,” Griffiths told reporters.

“The whole process is getting slicker, quicker, faster, and more convenient.”

For passengers, the biggest change is simple: the familiar routine of opening your hand luggage and removing your laptop or liquids for screening is being phased out where the new scanners are operational.

The new equipment is designed to examine the contents of a bag without requiring passengers to unpack it.

In an interview with Gulf News last year, Griffiths said the new machinery was already being installed for both hold baggage and passenger baggage screening. Trials at the time had been “very successful”, with the airport reporting a “much quicker and more reliable service”.

The latest update suggests the programme has moved beyond simply testing the technology.

“Some of the machines are already in,” Griffiths said. “It’s just a gradual, ongoing programme of continuous upgrade.” “The idea is we’ll replace all of the old technology so that every customer has the same level of convenience,” he said.

The technology upgrade is not confined to one terminal.

Griffiths said the new security equipment is being introduced as part of wider refurbishment work across DXB, including Terminal 1 and other areas of the airport.

Some of the latest work is taking place in Concourse B, where Dubai Airports is also refurbishing the so-called Hammerhead remote terminal.

Terminal 1 is undergoing refurbishment too, with new flooring and additional security lanes being installed.

“In the mornings I’ll be at my desk. In the afternoon I’ll be opening bags for our customers,” Griffiths joked, referring to construction work affecting part of his office as the airport makes room for additional security lanes.

The security upgrade is part of a much bigger strategy: handle more passengers without simply building more airport infrastructure.

Griffiths has previously stressed that DXB has grown significantly while operating within its existing infrastructure.

“It’s absolutely essential, because obviously we’ve grown 20 per cent in the last 10 years without any delivery of additional major infrastructure,” he said in the 2025 interview.

“So trying to make our existing infrastructure more and more efficient is a very, very important part of our growth strategy over the next few years.”

That makes security technology particularly important for DXB, where even small improvements to the time spent at checkpoints can have a significant impact on the passenger journey.

Griffiths sees the security upgrade as part of a much wider transformation of the airport experience. The ultimate objective, he said, is to remove as many unnecessary processes and queues as possible.

“You know, the old days of take your belts off, take your shoes off, you know, and all that sort of intrusion — that’s going to be a thing of the past,” he said. The technology is already making that future visible at DXB.

“You’ll see when you travel, you’ll see the new machines already in and the floorings being changed here,” Griffiths said.

He described the wider technology shift as potentially transforming the airport journey.

“The way the security process will work, the way that immigration will work, it’s going to change the entire journey,” he said.

“You’ll be able to just literally walk into the airport and get your plane, and maybe stop for a coffee or a burger on the way through.”

Griffiths’ long-term vision is a DXB where passengers spend less time processing their journey and more time enjoying the airport.

“We are trying to take all of the friction out of the airport process as possible,” he said. “No queues, no processes. Just getting everyone on their airplane and away in the best possible mood, thinking that was amazing.”