Dubai will host the 25th edition of the Airport Show from October 12 to 14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, spotlighting the biometric technologies reshaping air travel across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
More than 150 exhibitors from over 30 countries will take part, alongside 120 hosted buyers. Organisers expect over 7,000 visitors from more than 30 nations across the three day event, held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
The show will run alongside several conferences, including the Global Airport Leaders' Forum, Airport Security Middle East, the Air Traffic Control Forum and the Women in Aviation Middle East Conference. It offers airlines and airport operators exclusive access to decision makers through its Hosted Buyers Programme.
Passenger numbers across the region are projected to hit 240 million this year, prompting airports to accelerate biometric adoption. IATA estimates that biometric verification can cut processing times by up to 40 percent compared with manual checks.
Dubai International Airport has already rolled out an AI powered Red Carpet smart tunnel capable of processing more than 10 travellers at once, while Al Maktoum International Airport's first development phase remains on track ahead of operations starting in 2032. In Abu Dhabi, Zayed International Airport now uses facial recognition at five of nine passenger touchpoints.
Emirates pioneered biometric boarding in 2017 with an AED85 million investment, and Etihad Airways and flydubai are both expanding facial identification trials.
Dubai Airports COO Majed Al Joker said the airport is focused on measurable improvements to passenger flow through sustained investment in digital and biometric systems.
The global biometric technology market is expected to reach 150.58 billion dollars by 2030, according to Airport Show organisers.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
