Abu Dhabi Airports has begun testing a new advanced biometric technology, where the passenger's facial recognition will be used, in place of their passport.
With the help of smart cameras, an image will be captured of the passenger's face to confirm whether they are clear for travel.
The technology will be used when arriving at the airport as well as at the boarding gate, and will reduce the need to present documentation.
The first phase is currently being tested at the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which is the US immigration pre-clearance service in the UAE.
Etihad flights to will be the first to trial the new service and offer passengers travelling to the United States, the boarding experience.
His Excellency Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, the Director General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security said, "This advanced technology provides a smooth passenger customer journey, by leveraging biometric data records, which will enable travellers at Abu Dhabi International Airport to check in, clear immigration, access lounges and board their flights using only biometric data, without the need to present passports or boarding passes."