Dubai airports launch Click and Travel mobile passport control

GDRFA Dubai officially launched Click and Travel, a mobile passport control service, at Dubai's airports on 7 September 2026. Officers carry handheld devices linked to the directorate's databases and complete entry or exit checks wherever the passenger stands, away from fixed counters. Verifying identity and finishing the transaction takes 12 to 15 seconds.

For departures, every passenger can use it, whether a UAE citizen, a resident or a visitor. For arrivals, the first phase covers only UAE citizens and residents, with wider access to follow in stages. The service is switched on during peak hours and emergencies. The devices use biometrics, facial recognition and electronic passport reading, and travellers do not need to install anything.

Testing took place in stages. Khaleej Times reported a first trial in October 2025 at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, aimed at families. In May 2026 the pilot moved to all terminals. Between May and 31 August 2026, around 31,373 transactions went through it. Smart gates and staffed counters stay in place, and Click and Travel runs next to them. Dubai Airports and Emirates helped develop the system.

The same briefing gave figures for the Red Carpet biometric corridor. Gulf News reported that 745,188 passengers used it from January to August 2026, while average clearance time dropped from 12.5 to 3.4 seconds. Smart gates handled 9,382,814 travellers in that period.

GDRFA Dubai's Director General, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, put it this way: "We place people at the heart of the development process." The directorate may extend mobile services to other stages of the journey, in line with approved operational and security requirements.

For residents and visitors flying at busy times, the service may shorten the wait at passport control.

The Dubai Media Office announced the launch. Khaleej Times described the trials, and Gulf News published the Red Carpet figures.