Dubai To Implement Citywide Contactless Hotel Check-Ins

Developed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the biometric and digital solution is already available for immediate integration and is designed to streamline the entire arrival process. At properties using it, guests will be able to upload identification documents and biometric data from their mobile phones before they travel. Once completed, the details will remain valid until the ID expires, meaning only quick authentication – such as facial recognition – is required on future visits. With repeat visitors accounting for nearly a quarter of Dubai’s annual arrivals, the system is expected to further strengthen the destination’s ease-of-travel appeal.

The system is designed to integrate easily into existing hotel apps and web platforms, with future potential to extend beyond hotels into wider tourism touchpoints, such as car rentals. It also builds on Dubai’s broader smart-city infrastructure, including smart tunnels at Dubai International Airport that reduce passport-control processing times to seconds.

By Yi-Hwa Hanna