Abu Dhabi airport partners with IDEMIA to roll out biometric solutions

The new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) at Abu Dhabi International Airport, currently the biggest terminal in the United Arab Emirates, is launching a new biometric initiative as part of the country’s digital transformation vision.

Abu Dhabi International Airport will deploy a Single Token Journey (STJ) solution which attributes a unique digital identifier to every passenger.

In the first phase, biometric solutions will be installed at select self-service bag drops, immigration eGates and boarding gates. IDEMIA, in partnership with Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company NEXT50, has been selected to offer a passenger facilitation solution based on cutting-edge facial recognition technology.

This means passenger’s identities can be quickly verified through contactless facial biometric screening without the need for physical travel documents—such as a boarding pass—to provide a secure and seamless experience for travelers.

In an interview with The Khaleej Times¹, Osama Al Makhamreh, IDEMIA UAE Executive Director, says, “This partnership harnesses contactless biometric technology that gives users an unrivaled airport experience without letting up one jot on security.”

He adds, “This bears out our capacity to constantly innovate to safeguard passenger trust and help pave the way for even smoother and more secure future travel.”

The second phase of the initiative will see Abu Dhabi International Airport deploy biometric technology across all passenger touchpoints to become the first airport in the region with biometric capabilities throughout the passenger journey.

¹ https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/uae-no-passport-no-ticket-your-face-is-your-boarding-pass-abu-dhabi-airport-starts-biometric-ser