Dubai’s long-haul operator Emirates Airline has partnered with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) to speed up processing of visitors travelling through the Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Under a newly signed agreement, Emirates passengers will be given the option to allow the use of their biometric data in order to speed through multiple points of their journey, including check-in, boarding and immigration screening.

The new service, previously only enjoyed by UAE residents and GCC nationals, will make use of artificial intelligence (AI) and biometric recognition technologies. Passengers’ biometric data will be linked to their passport to enable instant identity verification.

“Travellers will be able to breeze through Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 check-in, lounges, boarding and immigration at high speed, as the AI systems recognize their unique facial features and will link to their passport for instant identity verification,” Emirates said in a statement.

The service will be available in 2023. Flyers will be given the option to share their biometric data by registering via the Emirates app, self check-in kiosks, or in person at the airline’s check-in counters.