Immigration in seconds at Dubai's Al Maktoum Airport; robots, smart tunnels to ease travel

Passengers flying through the Al Maktoum International (DWC) airport will be able to clear immigration in just seconds through a smart corridor.

In the time it takes one person to get through the Dubai Airport (DXB) immigration smart gates, 10 travellers will be able to pass through the corridor.

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Speaking at The Airport Show in Dubai on Tuesday, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the emirate's General Directorate of Identity and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA), noted how seamless travelling will be.

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“Our future will be one of seamless travel,” he said. “Previously, the procedures involved passport checks and stamping... Now, all passports are programmed and verified automatically using artificial intelligence (AI)."

Despite these advancements, he noted that DXB still values personal touches, with dedicated counters for children and prioritised services for mothers and elderly passengers.

“At Dubai Airports, we prioritise mothers traveling with their children and elderly travelers,” he said. “We have not forgotten about children, and we have dedicated a special counter for them, which is the first of its kind in the world.”

Baggage drop robots

Further showcasing what DWC — dubbed the airport of the future — will offer, officials revealed that even baggage handling will be automated.

In a presentation, Abdulla Al Shamsi, Senior Director of Future of Things at Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), explained that once passengers arrive at the airport in their cars, autonomous robots will take over — transferring luggage from the vehicle straight to the check-in counter.

Travelers will be able to book their flights through an app, shop from the airport duty free and enjoy an airport metaverse experience as soon as they plan their journey. An e-tag will be issued for the traveler’s bags once the tickets are booked.

Passengers will have a “complete check-in experience” from the moment they enter their cars, where the bags will be also weighed, according to Abdulla. “The driver will drop their luggage and a self-bag drop robot will come to collect it,” he explained. “A concierge robot will welcome the passenger at the curbside and take their hand carry as well through the airport.”

The futuristic experience doesn’t stop at the terminal entrance. An "intelligent traffic management system" will track vehicles en route to the airport, allowing airlines to prepare for arriving passengers. On the day of their flight, travellers will also have the option to arrive via metro or bonded eVTOL aircraft.

Baggage claim will also be revamped. Instead of conveyor belts, passengers will retrieve luggage from biometric-enabled kiosks. Passengers can also opt for home delivery of their luggage through autonomous vehicles.

Immersive experience

 Abdulla explained that travel through the airport will be an experience on its own. “Immersive mixed-use experience will be there and the delivery robots as well for duty-free or food and beverage,” he explained. “Many mixed-use experience will be available for kids. There will also be cafes and lounges to eat and sleep. They can continue shopping in the lounge and the shopping bags will get delivered to their seat.”

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airport had earlier said that the DWC will have eight smaller terminals, offering passengers a more intimate experience. Last week he said that underground trains will ferry passengers between the terminals.

Abdulla explained how the travel will look like. “The autonomous guided vehicle that will take you inside the airport will have an immersive experience on the glass,” he said.

(With inputs from Ruqayya Alqaydi)

Nasreen Abdulla

nasreen@khaleejtimes.com

Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.