Company: GDRFA-Dubai
Company Description: The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai has assumed the responsibility since its inception to this day to contribute to improving the quality of life in the Emirate of Dubai and achieving the highest results in the security and safety indicator. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFAD) has worked to provide proactive and smart service
Nomination Category: Product & Service Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Consumer Services
 Nomination Title: GDRFA-Dubai Smart Travel Project
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the the nominated new or new-version product or service, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: If this is a brand-new product, state the date on which it was released. If this is a new version of an existing product, state the date on which the update was released:
As part of the government and proactive approach to provide the best services for passengers at Dubai International Airport, 122 Smart Gates were operated at Dubai Airports in 2017 with the aim of providing smart services to passengers to improve their travel experience when passing through passport control. Our approach towards continuous improvement and the way forward to provide quality of service for both employees and passengers, we have introduced the Smart Tunnel service in 2018. The first of it’s kind in the world, and is located for passengers travelling business/first class at Terminal 3 – departure. The service took a fast pace towards providing an innovative service in the travel industry, and has marked Dubai and the United Arab Emirates across the world for an outstanding achievement in excellence passenger travel through Dubai International Airport (DXB). Moreover, it delivered a unique service with a walk through experience, without using any documents. It has reached more than 216 million view across world media channels once launched in October 2018.
We continuously focus to improve the service development to increase the efficiency of smart gate usage and improve overall passenger experience. In 2020, under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, enhanced improvement was applied to smart gate travelers by identifying passengers through their biometric data and completing check-in and exit through smart gates within 5-9 seconds without using any documents. This improved overall travel experience and provided suitability to the current 122 smart gates, by providing a similar service to the smart tunnel but to all other passengers through departure or arrivals at all 4 terminals (Temrinals 1,2,3 and Al Maktoum).
In addition, the enhancement to the current service has been studied to be a leading service that relies on innovation and technology. Hence, this enhances our leadership role at the local and global level to continuously improve and achieve the expected level of services (LOS) at passport control touchpoints across Dubai International Airport. The smooth and improved process not only provided a step forward, but enhanced the overall experience for passengers travelling at Dubai Airportsas well as the continuous demand for passengers to have continuous improvement in the services is maintained by having an agile and proactive team that continuously works on new enhanced developments to sustain and improve the services for passengers prior to their requests.
Moreover, we continuously collaborate with our strategic partners to enhance the passenger journey at Dubai Airports, hence we have worked closely with Emirates Airlines to complete the emirates facial biometrics verifications in order to facilitate the smart travel experience for passengers as they travel from Terminal 3 – departure at Dubai International Airport. The process below illustrates the improved smart travel experience, were passengers complete all steps using their biometric data to have a smooth swift process when departing from Terminal 3.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the features, functions, and benefits of the nominated product or service (up to 350 words):
Total 291 words used.
We provided passengers with a seamless and more secure biometrics only process. The new system shift the process from touch to touch-less is linked to the organizational strategy in relation to government direction such as Smart Transformation and Paperless strategy.
The team performed trials on-site to continuously look into required improvements to enhance the system. Hence, due to the pandemic situation we had to close all smart gates for a period of time to avoid passengers from using their Emirates ID card or finger print scan. However, this provided an opportunity to re-open smart gates with a Seamless Service using facial/iris recognition that was developed prior to the pandemic. Moreover, it gave us an opportunity to closely work with our strategic partner Dubai Airports, to train MAY I HELP YOU staff and educate passengers of the process. Also the UI illustrations have been reduced to focus on biometric and elimination of the Scan fingerprint/card process previously used. The process became more simplified and easy for passengers.
Hence, the opportunity provided a dramatic change to previous travel experience. As such this lead to the increase of passengers using more smart gates during the pandemic and now while passenger numbers are gradually increasing, we have noticed a gradual increase trend in smart gate users which is a positive approach towards using the innovative services at passport control. Prior to the pandemic the numbers reached 8,476,026, and during 2021 the numbers were around 50% of the total which is 4,116,968. Hence during the pandemic passengers used more smart gates than going through normal conventional counters. As for the smart tunnel, 41,306 used the service in 2019 while the numbers increased to 130,342 passengers used the service in 2021.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Outline the market performance, critical reception, and customer satisfaction with the product or service to date. State monetary or unit sales figures to date, if possible, and how they compare to expectations or past performance. Provide links to laudatory product or service reviews. Include some customer testimonials, if applicable (up to 350 words):
Total 146 words used.
Passengers travelling though and from Dubai airports pre-clearance before 48 hours and linked to existing passenger’s data/ biometric to recognize the expected passengers at various touchpoints that need to identify them, which contributes to reduce the time in each touchpoint.
In addition, an integration has been made between our strategic partner “Emirates Airlines” to ensure that the word “SMART” is printed on the boarding for eligible passengers while visiting the Emirates Check-In counter. This has enhanced passengers experience and ensure smooth operations at immigration touchpoint to direct those passengers to use the service.
Benefits:
- Reduce passenger process time at smart gates (5-9 seconds).
- Improve hygiene and safety during covid-19 pandemic through a touchless service.
- Ensure all safety and security measure precautions are no affected by the improvement.
- Encouraging passengers to use more smart services at passport control touchpoints.
- Reduce operational costs.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 221 words used.
Outcome results:
⮚ Financial – reducing operational costs
⮚ Non-financial – reduce process time/steps and eliminate using documents.
▪ Trend results on smart gates usage:
2017 – 5,503,606 passengers
2018 – 7,321,642 passengers
2019 – 8,476,026 passengers
2020 – 1,688,122 passengers (during Covid-19 pandemic)
2021 – 4,116,968 passengers
▪ Trend results on smart tunnel usage:
2018 – 3700 passengers
2019 – 41,306 passengers
2020 – 26,975 passengers
2021 – 130,342 passengers
Awards:
- 2017 | IDEAS UK – Customer Service Awards for Smart Gates Project
- 2017 | IDEAS UK – Operational Enhancement Award for Next Generation Emigration Project
- 2017 | IDEAS Arabia – Best Join Idea Award for Next Generation Emigration Project
- 2018 | Dubai Government Excellence Program – Innovative Management Initative for Next Generation Project
- 2018 | Internal Bsuiness Awards – Next General Emigration Project
- 2019 | IDEAS UK – Special Judges Award for Smart Tunnel Project
- 2019 | IDEAS UK – Innovation Award for Smart Tunnel Invention
- 2019 | Golden Bridge Awards – Golden Award for Smart Tunnel Project
- 2020 | International Business & Leadership Awards, Government Services Category – Smart Tunnel Project
- 2021 | IDEAS Arabia – Next General Border, Shared Service Category
- 2021 | UAE INNOVATES – Smart Travel Project, Best Innovation to improve process
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