The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a biometric screening system in the country’s airports, according to an article by Caline Malek in Abu Dhabi’s The National. The project is being touted as an improvement in both security and traveler convenience.
The multimodal security system will scan eyes, faces, and fingerprints. According to the article, all UAE citizens have their fingerprints recorded, so the coming e-gates will provide an immediate security analysis with respect to UAE travelers; non-residents, meanwhile, will be subject to iris scanning. Announcing the project, a ministry official referred to the “numerous security challenges in the region” as an important factor in prompting the project, adding that “the UAE needs a solid security system that allows it to screen and track all passengers.” Given that the Dubai International Airport is expected to see over 80 million travelers over the coming year, the desire for increased security – and also efficiency and convenience – is understandable.
The biometric screening won’t just be at the airport, though. First announced at the end of January, it’s a broad project aiming to secure all of the country’s borders. The technology is being provided by Morpho (Safran), whose Finger-on-the-Fly fingerprint scanning and Iris-at-a-Distance eye scanning systems are known for their impressive speed.
Of course, the UAE is no stranger to this kind of technology. emaratech started selling SRI’s biometric technology in the region last spring, and this year one of the country’s major coffee chains announced it would start using a biometric employee attendance system.
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March 13, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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