Dubai is preparing to introduce one of its fastest travel upgrades yet. The Red Carpet biometric service at Terminal 3, currently used for departures, will soon be available for arriving passengers, transforming the way travellers enter the city. The system recognises passengers using biometric data and allows them to walk straight through passport control without stopping or handing over documents. It represents the next major step in Dubai’s ongoing push to simplify travel and reduce waiting time during peak seasons.
The confirmation came from Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Airports, during discussions at the Dubai Airshow 2025. He shared that the arrival rollout is expected within the next two months and will drastically cut immigration processing time. Some passengers could clear passport checks in as little as six seconds, with the longest processing time averaging around fourteen seconds. This is the kind of improvement that perfectly reflects Dubai’s aviation ambitions—fast, seamless, and designed for today’s travel demands.
A Gateway That Feels More Dubai
Anyone who has flown through DXB during national holidays or winter tourism months knows how crowded terminals can become. Families arrive in large groups, tour operators bring in seasonal traffic from Europe and Asia, and Dubai’s strong calendar of events consistently attracts more visitors each year. Queues are common in airports around the world, but Dubai has never been comfortable with accepting them as the norm.
The Red Carpet service has already changed the departure experience. Passengers pass through a smart corridor lined with advanced scanning systems. Instead of pausing at a gate or presenting a passport, the corridor verifies their identity as they walk. The same experience will now apply to arrivals. Groups of up to eight or ten people can walk through together, making the system especially convenient for families, business teams, and travel groups often seen arriving at Terminal 3 from long-haul flights.
This is a practical upgrade that fits the Dubai travel experience. The city focuses on saving people time—not just in the air but on the ground. Whether someone is a returning resident heading home after a late-night flight or a first-time visitor eager to start exploring Downtown Dubai, shaving minutes off the immigration process feels like a significant improvement.
Innovation You Don’t See in the Terminal
What makes the Red Carpet corridor possible is not only what passengers see but also what works behind the scenes. Dubai Airports has been investing heavily in technology that improves decision-making in real time. Al Joker highlighted how artificial intelligence is now used to evaluate aircraft rotation, gate usage, operations data, and even characteristics of incoming flights. This real-time understanding helps teams respond faster, manage large volumes smoothly, and avoid bottlenecks before they happen.
DXB’s performance numbers reflect the impact of this strategy. The airport has recorded strong results in the third quarter and has been experiencing consistent growth throughout the year. Tourism and business travel continue to generate demand, and December is expected to be another record month. Based on ongoing performance tracking, Dubai Airports expects to surpass 95.2 million passengers by the end of the year. That is not just a milestone—it reinforces DXB’s global position as one of the world’s busiest and most connected airport hubs.
Smart Travel Is Dubai’s New Standard
This isn’t just a one-off initiative. Dubai has been pushing toward document-free travel for several years. For frequent travellers, the shift is noticeable. Automated gates, faster security checks, remote check-in systems, and digital boarding processes have already changed the airport experience. The Red Carpet service is simply the next upgrade in a long movement toward airport journeys that feel effortless.
Passengers who enter the city using the new system will walk through the corridor, get scanned, and move directly toward baggage claim or exit. It also frees ground teams to focus on customer support rather than administrative document handling. For Dubai, this is more than technology—it is about redefining what the airport experience should feel like.
Growth at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
While DXB attracts most of the attention, Al Maktoum International Airport has also been expanding. More than 910,000 passengers travelled through the airport in the first half of the year, and the number is expected to cross one million by year-end. The new airport design is almost final, and according to Al Joker, the upcoming facility will be completely new—different in scale, layout, structure, and capabilities from the terminal used today.
This is part of Dubai’s long-term aviation vision. As passenger numbers continue to climb, the city is preparing future infrastructure that can handle next-generation aircraft, new mobility systems, and expanded operational demand.
Showcasing Dubai’s Aviation Leadership on a Global Platform
The announcement at Dubai Airshow 2025 allowed Dubai Airports to demonstrate how the city is actively shaping global aviation trends. The event highlighted emerging travel technologies, including electric and vertical take-off aircraft. Dubai Airports is also part of a sustainability alliance working with partners such as dnata and flydubai to introduce renewable energy solutions and reduce the ecological footprint of ground operations.
This balance of growth and sustainability reflects how Dubai wants to lead—not only in volume but in future readiness.
A New Arrival Experience for the World
For the millions of travellers entering Dubai every year, the rollout of the Red Carpet biometric service represents a subtle but meaningful shift. The moment when passengers land—the point where fatigue, excitement, and anticipation meet—will soon become quicker and more intuitive. Travellers won’t need to pull out passports, search for e-gates, or queue behind hundreds of passengers. They will simply walk through, and Dubai will recognise them.
It’s a small detail, but a defining one. In a city that values time, efficiency, and forward-thinking travel, it feels entirely in character.
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