The UAE and Bahrain launch the trial version of the project "One point for air passengers"
Abu Dhabi, February 16 / WAM / The United Arab Emirates today announced the launch of the trial version of the One Point Project for air travelers with the sister Kingdom of Bahrain to facilitate the movement of passengers of citizens of the two countries, save time and effort, and reduce waiting time at the airports approved within the project, in addition to increasing tourism and trade, supporting economic growth, security stability, regional cooperation, and achieving integration in the infrastructure in the two countries.
The project is being implemented in the UAE by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security, and by the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the relevant authorities in the two countries. The project is being implemented at both Zayed International Airport and Bahrain International Airport as a first phase.
The single travel point project includes pre-registration for citizens of the two countries traveling by air between the Emirates and Bahrain in the country of departure, through electronic connectivity, a biometric verification system, monitoring systems, electronic gates, processing passenger data, and documenting their movement before they arrive at their final destination. Thus, travelers from the two countries can complete procedures at the airports of their countries, which reduces congestion, speeds up the entry process, and makes the travel experience more comfortable and secure.
His Excellency Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, confirmed that the One Travel Point project is one of the innovative projects that reflects the keenness of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to facilitate the travelers’ journey and enable them to have a safe and comfortable travel experience, in addition to the authority’s keenness to consolidate relations of cooperation and partnership with strategic partners not only locally, but regionally and globally through electronic connectivity and employing the latest technologies and applications in exchanging and processing data in a way that enhances the customers’ journey and raises Their level of well-being and quality of life.
His Excellency pointed out that this project contributes to increasing tourism and intra-trade in the two countries in particular and the GCC countries in general, by transforming the two countries’ airports into major starting points that enhance tourism and travel and support economic activities in a way that opens new horizons for economic and development cooperation, in addition to achieving customs and security integration, increasing the competitiveness of the two countries’ airports regionally and globally and making them preferred transit points for travelers to the countries of the region.
His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Kuwaiti, Acting Director General of Ports at the Authority, said that the One Travel Point project between the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain reflects the advanced level of strategic integration between the two brotherly countries, and embodies a common vision to facilitate movement, enhance the travel experience for citizens, and enhance the quality of life of travelers through smart solutions that rely on digital transformation and government integration between the UAE and partners, based on the two countries’ commitment to developing the travel and ports system by adopting innovative solutions that contribute to raising the efficiency of government services.
His Excellency stressed that electronic connectivity, data integration and prior exchange ensures the highest levels of accuracy, security and smooth procedures, while preserving privacy and protecting information, pointing out that the project is a qualitative step towards the future of smart mobility in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and a model that can be expanded and applied regionally, because of its great importance in tourism and business movement and enhancing the position of airports in the two countries as smart and advanced ports.
For his part, Captain Majid Al Marzouqi, Chief Operating Officer and Guest Experience at Etihad Airways, said: “We at Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, are proud to be an active partner in this pioneering initiative that redefines the travel experience between the UAE and the sister Kingdom of Bahrain, and establishes an ambitious model that can be expanded regionally.”
He added: “The One Point Travel Project is fully consistent with our vision of providing an exceptional guest experience that begins before boarding the plane, as our guests on Etihad Airways flights who are citizens of the Emirates and Bahrain between Zayed International Airport and Bahrain International Airport will be able to complete check-in procedures in advance, and move very smoothly from the departure gate to their final destination.”
He continued: “This project represents an exceptional achievement that places our region at the forefront of the global aviation sector, and embodies the leadership that the UAE enjoys in harnessing the latest technologies and smart solutions to improve the traveler’s experience. We look forward to this initiative being the starting point for a smart and integrated travel system that extends to other destinations, consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading hub for smart travel, and elevating our guests’ experience to new heights.”
For his part, Dr. Hamad Saif Al-Mashghoni, Executive Director of the Air Ports Affairs Sector, confirmed in a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that the “One Point of Air Travel” project between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE is one of the pioneering strategic initiatives between the two countries that aims to facilitate the movement of citizens and residents between the Gulf countries more efficiently and smoothly.
He explained that the project aims to bring about a qualitative shift in travel procedures between the GCC countries by unifying exit and entry procedures at one point at the departure airport so that requests are completed in advance through an integrated electronic link system to exchange data securely and instantly between the concerned authorities in the two countries.
He said that the project relies on an advanced technical system that includes pre-registration of travelers, exchange of data before arrival and integration of passport and port systems, which contributes to reducing the time of procedures and shortening the traveler’s journey to only one point upon departure, which reflects positively on the speed of completing procedures and reducing the traveler’s stay at the airport.
He explained that the project represents a pivotal step in the path of transformation towards smart travel, as it contributes to reducing reliance on traditional counters and enhances the use of electronic portals and advanced digital systems, with future plans to integrate artificial intelligence technologies and predictive analytics to support decision-making and raise the efficiency of passenger traffic management.
He stressed that the main challenge at the beginning of the project was the harmonization of technical systems and electronic connectivity between countries, but the level of digital integration existing between the GCC countries contributed to overcoming this challenge smoothly, which reflects the readiness of the Gulf digital infrastructure to implement advanced integration projects.
He pointed out that the impact of the project is not only limited to facilitating procedures, but also contributes to supporting security aspects by exchanging prior information, enhancing data accuracy, and raising the efficiency of risk management in a way that achieves a balance between speed of completion and maintaining the highest standards of security and safety. He stressed that the “One Point for Air Travel” project represents a first stage within a broader vision to develop the travel system between the GCC countries.
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