AVIATIONDubai Airport’s Red Carpet AI Corridor: How It Works and When It Launched

How does the Red Carpet AI corridor work?

Dubai International Airport launched its AI-powered immigration corridor in August 2025, described as a world first. Biometric and AI technology verify identity in real time as passengers walk through, and passenger data is checked before they reach the checkpoint. Suspicious passports are flagged for review by forgery experts. Up to 10 passengers can pass through at the same time without stopping or presenting documents, and the system was reported to double DXB’s processing capacity. The service is part of Dubai’s “Travel Without Borders” strategy.

How fast is it?

GDRFA Dubai reports that the average border processing time at DXB fell from 12.5 seconds to 3.4 seconds, and that 439,321 travellers used the Red Carpet service between January and June 2026. See the first-half 2026 results.

Who can use it?

The service is for eligible arriving and departing passengers who are enrolled, and published reports do not define the criteria in full. Passengers need a biometric passport, and residents should keep their Emirates ID current, because residency status is linked to immigration clearance. To check how the corridor compares with Smart Gates and Click and Travel, read who can use each option. Details on enrolment and the Terminal 3 service are in the Red Carpet smart tunnel explained.