As the UAE’s two-month summer break comes to an end, airports throughout the country are gearing up to welcome back a multitude of residents from their vacations, leading to an anticipated surge in airport activity.
Dubai International (DXB), the world’s largest airport, is well-prepared to receive a significant influx of 3.3 million travelers within the next 13 days.
In a recent advisory issued on Wednesday, the airport authorities indicated that travelers aged 12 and above, who are traveling with families, can opt for smart gates to streamline the passport control process. Similarly, travelers between the ages of 4 and 12 have the option to utilize dedicated passport control counters to independently manage their passport procedures.
Passengers who choose to use the smart gates can swiftly complete immigration formalities within seconds. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) reported in June that during the first half of this year, an impressive 9 million passengers made use of these smart gates, constituting around 36 percent of the total 26 million passengers who passed through DXB.
A total of 120 smart gates are available at DXB. Registered passengers can smoothly pass through by simply facing the green light, eliminating the need to scan any documents. This green light is conveniently positioned on top of the cameras that scan the gates.
Eligibility Criteria: As outlined by the GDRFA website, UAE and GCC citizens, residents, individuals eligible for visa on arrival, and travelers with pre-issued visas are entitled to use the smart gates. However, registration is necessary, and individuals must meet a height requirement of over 1.2 meters.
Verifying Eligibility: Dubai Airports has indicated that all recent arrivals at DXB are “likely to have been registered upon entering the immigration checkpoint.”
A new feature on the GDRFA website enables passengers to verify their eligibility for using the smart gates. Here’s how to proceed:
Go to https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/en/smart-gate-inquiry
Enter your Emirates ID or passport number.
Provide your date of birth and gender.
You will then receive one of two messages: “Record is registered. You can use smart gates” displayed in green, or “Record is not registered. You need to be registered to use smart gates while traveling” indicated in red.”
Source: Khaleej Times