The new system could remove the need to show passports and boarding passes
British holidaymakers travelling through Dubai could soon get through border control without needing to take passports or boarding passes out of their bags.
The world's busiest international airport could be set to expand trials of an AI-powered immigration system that has already helped some travellers pass through in seconds.
Dubai International Airport is testing a new biometric "red carpet corridor" that uses AI, facial recognition cameras and integrated flight data to identify passengers as they walk through immigration, removing the need to stop at passport control desks.
The technology is currently being trialled in Terminal 3, having initially been introduced for First and Business Class passengers before being expanded to arriving travellers. Dubai Airports has confirmed it intends to roll the system out to all passengers.
According to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths, travellers who have registered their passport details in advance can simply walk through the corridor. Here, cameras will verify their identity against biometric records and flight information.
The system is capable of processing up to 10 passengers at the same time, in under four seconds, with border officers remaining on hand if anyone is flagged for additional checks.
Speaking about the technology, Griffiths told The Times: "We've invested in camera technology, whereby you can continue to walk through a space and be verified as OK to enter or leave the country, so no passports in your hand, no gate readers, no difficulty with the whole process."
He added that the aim is to make airport security "no less rigorous but far less intrusive".
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According to the CEO, future passengers could drop off their luggage at check-in before walking directly into the departure lounge, with security screening and immigration taking place seamlessly as they move through the terminal.
Hand luggage would be scanned while passengers continue walking, reducing the need to queue at traditional checkpoints.
Dubai is a popular holiday destination for Britons, as well as being one of the biggest transit hubs for holidaymakers travelling to Asia, Australia and beyond.
Dubai has already heavily invested in biometric technology. More than 9.4 million travellers used the airport's AI-powered Smart Gates and biometric border system during the first half of 2026, according to official figures.
The latest expansion forms part of Dubai's wider push to use AI to improve the passenger experience as it prepares for continued growth.
Dubai International handled more than 95 million passengers last year, making it one of the busiest airports in the world, while airport bosses believe faster processing could allow more travellers to pass through existing terminals without major expansion.
If rolled out successfully, the technology could offer a glimpse of how airport travel may look in the future, with other major airports, including some in London, reportedly monitoring the results of the Dubai trial.
This is just one of many updates hitting airports to make travelling quicker and easier, such as advanced CT scanners that allow the 100ml liquid limit to be increased to two litres and EES gates. EES gates aim to make border checks quicker overall, although they have caused delays in some airports during the initial rollout.
