Dubai Airports CEO says passports may be redundant within five years

Biometric technology could replace passports for travel, according to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

By SafarSamachar Desk9 Nov 2026, 5:38 pm IST

Illustration

Illustration: SafarSamachar Pix Desk, created with AI assistance. Not a photograph of the event.

Key facts at a glance

1Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths says passports may become redundant within five years
2Biometric technology already exists to verify identities without passports
3Al Maktoum International Airport will be the world's largest once fully operational in 2032
4Passengers may not need to show passports for immigration checks using facial recognition
5A single digital identity could be used throughout a trip, from border crossings to hotel check-ins

Paul Griffiths said passports could become redundant within five years because biometric technology can verify identities without physical documents.

Yet travellers still must show passports or other IDs at many points. The main obstacle is linking systems across governments, airlines and airports for a seamless digital journey.

Dubai Airports aims to make passports unnecessary by using biometrics and digital identities. Al Maktoum International Airport will open in 2032 as the world's largest when fully operational; it will use biometrics, facial recognition and other technologies to streamline passenger flow.

Passengers may skip passport checks at immigration thanks to facial-recognition technology. Dubai Airports is working with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) on these systems, and new screening machinery will let passengers keep laptops and liquids in their bags during security checks.

Griffiths added that a single digital identity could be used throughout a trip—from border crossings to hotel check-ins.

What this means for Indian travellers

Passengers may not need to show passports for immigration checks at Dubai's new Al Maktoum International Airport once it opens in 2032. The use of biometrics and digital identities is still under development and may take up to five years to fully replace passports.

Sources

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