A rendering of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, that will have annual capacity for 260 million passengers. Photo: Dubai Airports
A rendering of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, that will have annual capacity for 260 million passengers. Photo: Dubai Airports
A rendering of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, that will have annual capacity for 260 million passengers. Photo: Dubai Airports
A rendering of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, that will have annual capacity for 260 million passengers. Photo: Dubai Airports

Dubai's new airport terminal promises easier and faster check-in enabled by AI


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai will use artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology to redesign the check-in, security and immigration procedures at its planned passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) for faster and easier “flow” of travellers through the massive facility.

The $35 billion airport terminal with a capacity of 260 million annual passengers is currently still in the detailed design phase and there is an opportunity to get rid of “legacy processes” that have plagued the aviation industry for years, Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports' chief executive, said.

“We're determined to break free from those processes and Dubai has a particularly fantastic opportunity to design a completely new operating model, which consists of high-flow and minimal disruptions to passengers when they go through the process of check-in and arrival,” Mr Griffiths told The National on Thursday.

“The whole of the immigration, security and customs process, we intend to recede into the background. They will still be as robust as they are today but enabled by technology and AI processes so that when people arrive by plane at the airport to the Arrivals process or they depart … they literally flow through those processes without having to stop.”

The planned changes at the new terminal in DWC are improvements on operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) that already harnesses technology from smart gates to biometrics for faster processes.

The Dubai government is proceeding with the expansion of its second hub, Al Maktoum International Airport, in anticipation of a surge in visitors over the next decade. That airport now has a capacity of 32.5 million passengers, handling mainly cargo and some low-cost airlines.

Dubai Airports is also investing heavily in reducing dwell time at the new terminal, Mr Griffiths said. This refers to the amount of time an aircraft spends on the ground at a gate or parked between flights, which has implications for operational efficiency.

To reduce dwell time and process passengers faster through the airport, the massive facility will aim to recreate the feel of efficiency and speed at smaller hubs.

“What we want to avoid is creating an airport for 260 million passengers that feels like an airport for 260 million passengers: everyone loves small airports because they're easy to navigate, easy to walk around and there are short distances to the gate and they have a very compact and efficient design,” he said.

“We want to recreate that at scale by making sure that the airport is effectively a series of small airports entailed within … and that operating philosophy is very different from what we see today.”

Open doors in 2033

Designing these operational changes into a project of DWC's scale “takes a lot of work” and the plan is to complete the airport within the next 10 years.

The current plan is to open the new terminal in 2033, according to Mr Griffiths.

The timeline to complete the detailed design phase is “pretty short, because if we're going to open the doors in the terminal in 2033, which is the current plan, that is important to build such an incredibly large piece of infrastructure,” he said.

“Time if definitely against us and we're working very diligently and trying our hardest to make sure we bring this to fruition very quickly.”

The process requires “forensic intelligence” and a “deep understanding” of the challenges and new technology that will be applied at the new terminal, said Mr Griffiths.

Dubai Airports and its related aviation partners, including Dubai Police, GDRFA, Dubai Customs, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Air Navigation Services, are forecast to contribute Dh89 billion ($24.2 billion) – or 15 per cent of Dubai’s forecast GDP in 2030, according to a new study by Oxford Economics, commissioned by Emirates airline and Dubai Airports.

These entities will support a growing number of jobs, which is forecast to reach 516,000 in 2030.

This is up from last year when Dubai Airports and the aviation entities contributed Dh62 billion in gross to the economy, or 12 per cent of Dubai's GDP, and supported 396,000 jobs across the emirate.

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Director: Joseph Kosinski

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

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What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out  ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai

Gulf Under 19

Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy

Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2

Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina

Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Price: From Dh149,900

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)

Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am

Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am

Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

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Sweet%20Tooth
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23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees

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Company%20profile
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Updated: October 24, 2024, 12:37 PM`