As the Middle East outpaces global growth in air traffic, airports in the region are investing millions of dollars toward airport technology and system upgrades to ensure seamless passenger experience along with security.
According to IATA, the Middle East will see an additional 237 million passengers a year by 2034 and the global trade association estimates the total market size will be 383 million passengers.
To effectively handle the rapid growth, airports are increasingly focusing on investing in smart technology to effectively handle large passenger volumes, while ensuring security at the same time.
Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, says: 'At the Dubai Airports, we are using the latest smart technology which is recognised as the most efficient and advanced from security point of view. The number of international passengers is rapidly increasing and is estimated to cross 7 billion by 2030 and according to IATA this presents its own set of challenges. We must ensure that we are able to handle the numbers without compromising on security.
And this is what we adopt at Dubai International Airport to keep pace with the growth of passenger numbers, where we expect to have 85 million passengers by the end of this year.'
He says: 'The traditional methods that were adopted in the past for passport control points in different airports are no longer efficient since millions of people travel through airports around the clock. And based on this vision we initiated applying a smart travel policy Dubai International Airport by adding 125 e-gates and smart gates within the framework of our transformation towards smart solutions and adopting the latest technology to enhance security standards of dealing with arrivals and departures through passport borders in Dubai Airport to ensure the safety of our borders and the UAE’s earnings on this level.'
According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the estimated the global annual spend on airport security would surge to $12.67 billion in 2023, up from $8.22 billion in 2014.