The General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai has stated that it is working to implement the system for the passage of passengers through Dubai airports using the face and eye prints starting from next March, and enabling travelers to enter and leave without stopping in front of any counters, after registering for the first time in the system, pointing out that The number of passengers traveling through Dubai Airport has increased by more than 7% since the beginning of this year compared to the same period last year.
General Director of the General Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Major General Mohammed Al-Marri, said during the annual media council held by the administration yesterday, that the number of travelers through Dubai airports has witnessed an increase since the beginning of this year, as the number of travelers during the first week of January reached about 200 One thousand passengers daily, confirming that the number of passengers increases annually by a rate ranging between 5% and 7%.
In response to press questions about the new system of multi-entry tourist visa for a period of five years, which was recently announced by the Council of Ministers, Al-Marri said that all details of this visa will be announced soon through the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, so that it is available to all.
He stressed that the administration is fully prepared to receive the Expo 2020, and the significant increase in the number of passengers in the airports, in cooperation and coordination with all concerned authorities.
For his part, Brigadier Talal Al-Shanqeeti, Assistant Director General for Air Ports Affairs in the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, confirmed that the administration has strengthened Dubai airports with 122 smart gates, to facilitate the movement of travelers, as it works to identify them using the face and eye prints, after registering once One in the system, and then the traveler can pass without stopping in front of any residence counters.
He added that the new system, which the administration will start implementing in March, will make the traveler’s journey a smoother and easier experience, and eliminate waiting lines in front of passport staff.
According to the official statistics of the establishment of Dubai, the number of travelers through the air, sea and land ports of the Emirate of Dubai reached 55 million passengers in 2019, an increase of 3.63% over the year 2018, and the air ports topped the number of travelers with 50 million and 483 thousand and 195 passengers, compared to three million and 651 thousand and 591 travelers through the ports Onshore, while the number of travelers through seaports reached 865,214.
The residence revealed that the number of users of smart gates during the past year amounted to 12 million and 153 thousand and 607 passengers, an increase of 7.39%, during 122 gates, while the number of entry and residence permits during the past year reached 16 million and 575 thousand and 844 permission, by 13 million and 897 thousand and 133 permission Entry, two million and 678 thousand and 711 new residences, while the number of tourist visas issued reached four million and 602 thousand and 514 tourist visas.
She stated that the number of holders of golden residency during 2019 amounted to 3411 people, distributed in different categories, and the number of investors, including 1272 people, and beneficiaries of their families 2169 people, while the number of executives who obtained the golden residence reached six individuals, and three athletes, in addition to categories Other.
Smart projects
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai confirmed that it implemented a number of smart projects last year, the most important of which are in the developed counters that work to provide the highest standards of quality and safety in completing the procedures of travelers, and contribute to enhancing the travel experience in record time, and are designed to provide the greatest amount It is smooth for travelers and reduces their waiting time, and has reached 90 counters.
She added that she implemented the automatic registration project that is concerned with conducting an eye fingerprint scan with advanced smart cameras, so that the traveler does not have to wait to undergo the fingerprint scan, so that the new system takes care of recording biometric data and storing it automatically while they are in the queue, which leads to saving time and a smooth flow of travelers .
She added that she implemented the "boarding pass" project, which is the first of its kind in the world, and aims to complete travel procedures for inmates in conflict with the entry and residence law in a modern and smart way.
Procedures to facilitate procedures
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai implemented a number of initiatives last year, most notably “Facilitating the procedures of the deceased's family.” The department is working to facilitate the deceased’s procedures from canceling residence from the moment of the announcement of the death, as well as “facilitating marriage procedures” by submitting an electronic request to update and issue Summary of registration, merging the medical examination for residence with the marriage examination electronically, in addition to submitting an application for transferring the sponsorship electronically.
Among the most prominent initiatives is "improving procedures for issuing residence in the free zones", where the administration’s role lies in facilitating the customer’s journey through speedy completion in five working days to enhance them as attractions for foreign investments, as well as the initiative “improving the traveler’s journey”, where the administration provides vehicles with equipment Necessary to complete the travel procedures and receive the boarding pass.
7%
An increase in the number of passengers traveling through Dubai airports since the beginning of January.