Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) officially launched its new "Click and Travel" service on Monday during a press conference at Dubai International Airport. Under the initiative, passport officers use secure handheld mobile devices to complete passenger entry and exit procedures away from fixed counters, cutting each transaction down to just 12 to 15 seconds.
The system combines biometric fingerprint scanning, facial recognition and electronic passport reading with automated pre-screening and instant access to passenger records over a secure network. Officials say the goal is to reduce waiting times and give immigration teams greater flexibility to respond to congestion, peak travel periods and emergencies by moving through terminal halls instead of staying at one counter.
The launch was attended by Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, and Major General Talal Ahmed Al Shanqiti, Assistant Director General for Airport Affairs. The service followed a lengthy testing process: the first pilot began in October 2025 at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, and a second phase in May 2026 expanded coverage to all passenger categories across the airport's terminals. Between May and the end of August 2026, the pilot processed more than 31,373 passenger transactions.
"Click and Travel" is now available to UAE citizens, residents, GCC nationals and international visitors. Dubai officials describe it as part of a broader push to expand smart technology across the emirate's airports, adding that the mobile format gives border teams more room to manage passenger flow during the busiest hours without adding new fixed infrastructure.