Time to face the facts…
There’s no doubt that Abu Dhabi is a future-forward city, seeking to employ smart solutions and cutting edge technology wherever it makes sense. Recently, for example, we’ve had news about driverless taxis (which are about to embark on phase two trials) and high-speed trams on Yas Island.
And it’s this drive to create a world of tomorrow, along with nurturing an ecosystem that attracts, inspires and invests in innovators — that’s cementing the emirate’s position as a world leader in the advancement of technological applications. The result is, we get creative contraptions like the ones ‘gearing up’ for trials in Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) — biometric scanners that allow you to navigate immigration check points without having to whip your passport out.
This should of course streamline the on-boarding process, combat the use of fraudulent documents and well, look it’s just continuing the trend of technology being used to outsource tasks of mild human inconvenience. Fingers crossed for a ‘doing the bins’ robot soon.
Phase one of the trials sees a set of scanners being set up at United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) point in Abu Dhabi International Airport. It’s rather handily a US immigration service that allows passengers to clear US immigration while they are still in Abu Dhabi (the only one of its kind in the region). Paving the way for a quick and efficient airport experience when passengers get to the US.
Commenting on the development, His Excellency Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports said: “We are looking forward to leveraging this holistic biometric technology, the first of its kind in the UAE and the world, to further enhance our passenger journey.”
“The project will commence at Abu Dhabi International Airport and then transferred to the new Midfield Terminal in the future as we continue to be committed to enhancing the airport services and experience.”
“We also take this opportunity to recognise Etihad, the first airline to use this technology, as well as NEXT50, our technology partner, and the UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, without which today’s ground-breaking announcement would not have been possible”.
Images: Etihad
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