Dubai: Immigration Time Cut To 20 Mins For Cruise Ship Arrivals With Facial Recognition System

The introduction of the Portable Marina has enhanced maritime passenger processing, transforming the way travellers disembark from cruise ships, allowing for the efficient checking of 5,000 passengers in just 20 minutes.

Previously, the daunting task of individually checking each passenger led to long queues and delays.

Before the ship even arrives at the port, officers can now scan passengers' information digitally, streamlining the immigration process. Upon arrival, passengers are identified using facial recognition technology, significantly reducing the time spent in queues.

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"With the Portable Marina, we can identify all passengers within just 20 minutes," said Faisal Ahli from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). "This system allows us to pre-process the passenger data, ensuring that when the ship docks, officers can quickly verify travellers' identities."

The previous method of processing passengers involved extensive checks, which often resulted in long wait times, especially for vessels carrying large numbers of people. The introduction of biometric identification at sea and land ports, applicable since earlier this year, has eliminated these delays for both entering and exiting the ports.

"Passengers no longer face long queues, making their travel experience smoother and more enjoyable," added Ahli.

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