Red Carpet’ Initiative Wins Dubai-IT Award; GDRFA Celebrates Achievement and Commends the Team
Dubai: The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai is celebrating a proud milestone: the ‘Red Carpet’ initiative—which completes immigration procedures for travelers in Dubai within just five seconds—has won a Dubai-IT Award. The leadership, alongside the officials behind the project, celebrated the success of this initiative, which has significantly reduced waiting times at the airport and made travel much smoother. Senior officials and team members gathered at the GDRFA headquarters to mark the occasion by cutting a cake.The ‘Red Carpet’ corridor at Dubai International Airport is the world’s first system that allows immigration procedures for multiple travelers to be completed simultaneously, without the need for them to present travel documents or stop for manual checks. The celebration served as a platform to commend the collective effort that led to the success of this system, which has set a new benchmark for travel procedures at airports.The event was attended by senior officials, including Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai; Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor; and Major General Talal Ahmed Al Shanqiti, Assistant Director General for Immigration Affairs at Dubai Airports. During the celebration, Al Marri specifically commended the team members who contributed to the realization and successful implementation of the ‘Red Carpet’ initiative. He stated that this achievement stands as a testament to Dubai’s visionary approach and its persistent commitment to providing exceptional service to travelers. He also extended his gratitude and appreciation to the Dubai Airport authorities for their collaboration on the project.The ‘Red Carpet Travel Corridor’ received the ‘Dubai-IT’ award under the government projects category. The award was announced recently by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. He also congratulated the team behind the initiative.Every moment saved at the airport holds value in the lives of travelers—whether they are heading home to rest after a long journey, returning to their families, or eagerly waiting to reunite with loved ones. The relief experienced when security and immigration checks are completed quickly and seamlessly is what makes services like the ‘Red Carpet’ so valuable to the public.The system automates immigration procedures by identifying passengers through the use of artificial intelligence and biometric recognition technology. As travelers walk through the corridor, the necessary checks are completed, allowing them to proceed without any interruptions. While a traditional inspection channel can process only one person at a time, the ‘Red Carpet’ corridor allows ten people to be processed simultaneously. This system, which has increased passenger handling capacity tenfold, boasts a passenger satisfaction rate of over 99 percent. Key advantages of the project include high operational efficiency and a processing time of less than five seconds.Upon announcing the award, Sheikh Hamdan emphasized that Dubai should leverage technology to simplify people’s lives and deliver service experiences that exceed expectations.Those who transformed this vision into a tangible service for passengers gathered to celebrate the achievement. The leadership commended their efforts, which enable travel procedures to be completed in just a few moments. At the GDRFA headquarters, the joy of having made travel easier for the public was shared alongside the pride of receiving the award.
