Dubai hotel guests to skip the queue with contactless check-in as part of the city’s digital transformation

Smart tourism advancement ensures a seamless, convenient experience by allowing hotel guests to bypass front desk check-in after a one-time ID and biometric upload.

Securely-held data will remain valid until expiration of ID, meaning faster check-in on subsequent visits, further enhancing the visitor experience for repeat guests.

Dubai has announced the citywide introduction of a one-time contactless hotel guest check-in solution, setting a new global benchmark for guest convenience, safety, and innovation in the hospitality sector, and giving guests the option of bypassing in-person check-in procedures once implemented at the city’s hotels and holiday homes.

The pioneering biometric and digital technology capability, developed by Visit Dubai and available through several independent providers, is now available for immediate integration at hotels and holiday homes across Dubai, empowering guests to enjoy a seamless and expedited arrival experience. Its introduction underscores Dubai’s commitment to leveraging advanced technology to further enhance its position as a future-forward global tourism destination, prioritising both guest satisfaction and operational excellence.

The innovative system allows guests to complete all check-in formalities prior to their arrival, directly from their mobile phones. By uploading essential identification documentation and biometric data once, the entire process is streamlined, significantly reducing or eliminating traditional check-in times. Upon arrival, guests can bypass the usual check-in desk formalities at the start of every stay at participating hotels. The securely held data then remains valid until the identification document expires, meaning only a quick authentication, such as through facial recognition, would be required on subsequent visits. Repeat visitors make up almost a quarter of total annual visitation to Dubai, and this new service welcomes them to the city with added convenience, consolidating their affinity for the destination.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Visit Dubai), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “The rollout of this guest-centric innovation will minimise friction from the moment travellers land, providing them a seamless, efficient start to their stay and maximising their time to enjoy our destination. It further enables efficient return visits for our loyal repeat guests and allows Dubai’s hotels and holiday homes to focus on delivering more meaningful, high value guest interactions. This technology offers immense potential for hotels to further elevate their services, and we invite more owners and operators to integrate the capability into their systems, to optimise the guest experience.”

The solution is designed for easy integration into existing hotel apps or web platforms, ensuring a smooth transition for participating establishments. Beyond its immediate benefits, the technology holds significant potential to be leveraged across other tourism touchpoints, such as car rentals, paving the way for a more integrated and customised visitor experience throughout the city. It also builds on the incorporation of smart technology across the destination, including the introduction of smart tunnels at Dubai International Airport, which have reduced processing times at passport control to just seconds.

Dubai’s hospitality sector has been one of the cornerstones of its growth as a global destination, with world-class facilities and service available at 820 hotels and hotel apartments across the city. Complementing Dubai’s wider offerings, it has helped the city reach new heights, welcoming 15.70 million international overnight visitors in the first ten months of 2025, up 5% year-on-year, with guests spending a total of 36.71 million room nights at hotels across the emirate.