Muscat: In line with several technological advancements planned in the near future, new E-Gates have been installed at the Muscat International Airport, which will be operational this week.
Speaking to the Observer, Sheikh Aimen al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports said, "Unlike the old ones, the new gates will have facial recognition and 18 of them have been installed in the departure and arrival sections. We have been investing a lot in the technology, including opening of the new Innovation Lab."
Citizens and residents can use the system directly without showing their passports, visitors to the Sultanate will have to go through the normal immigration process.
He was speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the Airport Innovate conference in Muscat on Tuesday.
It may be noted that e-Gates were introduced for the first time at the old Muscat International Airport in 2008 to allow holders of residency cards and IDs to entry and exit by swiping their resident card.
Passengers were not required to wait in long queues to get their passports stamped as they can head straight for the machine and register their entry or exit.
Over the course of two days, participants are discussing the latest trends, developments, and technological innovations in the airport sector through 23 sessions, including visual presentations and panel discussions.
More than 45 CEOs from global airport leaders will explore the sector's readiness for innovation, artificial intelligence realms, and the latest technologies and innovations designed to enhance the travel experience and operational practices in the airport sector.
Additionally, 14 global institutions will display their latest products dedicated to airports in the exhibition held on the sidelines of the conference. Local emerging tech companies, alongside global counterparts, will participate in the exhibitions to showcase their innovations in aviation and
Engineer Hamoud bin Said Al-Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and chairman of Oman Airports, said global aviation sector is searching for solutions and innovations to address the challenges in light of technological progress and artificial intelligence to provide everything that facilitates the movement of passengers through airports.
The conference will primarily discuss the use of artificial intelligence to improve the travel experience in airports. One of the highlights will be a presentation by the renowned Italian architect Focaccia, who will design "The Line," one of Neom's projects in Saudi Arabia.
He also designed the Conference Center in Rome, as well as several airports worldwide.
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