Cairo: Saudi Arabia has launched the first phase of E-gates at a major airport to streamline travellers’ procedures in what was termed by local media as the first passport self-check-in service across the kingdom.
The service was launched by the Saudi General Directorate of Passports Tuesday at the King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh.
The E-gates service aims to enable travellers to finalise procedures themselves without human intervention in a swift and time-saving way based on stored biometric data in the passport system, said Chief of the General Directorate of Passports Lt-Gen. Sulaiman Al Yahya.
“E-gates come to develop travel procedures offered to citizens, expatriates and visitors as well to consolidate the quality of passport services by providing smart and highly efficient digital services,” he added at the launch ceremony, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
On the same occasion, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdulaziz Al Duailej said the new service introduced at the airport’s international departure halls 3 and 4 comes as a testimony to the level of aspirations cherished by the Saudi aviation sector to fulfil objectives of the national aviation strategy.
Saudi Arabia seeks to increase the number of air travellers to reach 330 million annually by 2030.
In January, GACA General Manager of Excellence and Development Department Hussain Al Assaf said the national aviation strategy is designed to triple the current number of air passengers to reach 330 million per year by 2030.
To this end, the kingdom focuses on a set of principal fields, including expanding infrastructures by building new airports, expanding the existing ones, boosting their operation efficiency and improving travellers’ experiences.
Earlier in January, Saudi Arabia unveiled a “passenger without a bag” service at all its airports as the kingdom seeks to nurture its tourism industry and attract more holidaymakers.
The service was launched by the Matarat Holding Company, which manages the Saudi airports.
It allows passengers to finalise all travel procedures from their residency and ship the luggage ahead of the flight, whether domestic or international.
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