Doha
27 Dec 2016

The Ministry of Interior activated E-gate services on ID cards and passports of the resident expatriates travelling through Hamad International Airport Free Of Charge. This service can be accessed by arriving and departing expatriate passengers. Resident expatriates with ID cards and their children above 18 years old can make use of this facility at the airport and without the need for prior registration.

Col. Mohammed Rashid Al Mazroui, Director Airport Passports Department said that expatriate resident passengers arriving at and departing from HIA can use now ID cards or passports at e-gates at HIA, both in departures and arrivals lounges free of charge. There are 19 e-gates in the departure lounge while 16 e-gates are available at arriving lounge. He stressed that use of the ID card does not need any prior registration or pay any fees, and only needs to have a valid ID card.

He explained that the activation of this service comes as part of the smart passenger project, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior at the beginning of this year where the passenger will be able to end his procedures through self-service devices, depending on smart technology, without the need to approach the counter staff.

He said that the activation of the electronic gates for residents will contribute to quick completion of their travel procedures without standing in long queues and waiting for passport control officer to verify their personal data and put the departure or arrival stamp on their passports. All of these procedures can now be updated automatically through the e-gate system at record speed while taking care of their privacy, security and safety. This will also save passport pages for many residents as many of them suffer from rapid depletion of available pages in their passports due to the large number of travel stamps.

With regard to procedures at e-gates Maj. Khalid Mohammed Mulla, head of the Airport Passports Section explained that the use of electronic gates are very much easy where the passenger has to place his ID card or passport on the e-reader at the e-gate, which will read the vital data stored on the card or the passport and verify them. Then the device will direct the passenger in Arabic or English to move ahead as the first glass barrier will be opened making access for the passenger to the middle of the e-gate. Now the device will match the data obtained from the travel document by capturing his eye print and fingerprint and if the data matches the device will open the final exit gate which enables the traveler to move to the boarding gate or baggage collection area. This process does not take more than two minutes, whether to enter or exit, he added.

Further he emphasized that it’s mandatory for all resident expatriates to show his ID card at the airports and other ports of entry as well as at airline counter and as and when demanded by the concerned authorities. Maj. Khalid added that all the concerned authorities in all countries have been notified on Resident ID card and all airline companies also were informed about it. The airlines can ensure the validity of ID cards through MOI web portal, he said.