Page 12 - DAEP PR REPORT - JULY 2025

Removing liquids and laptops from bags at Dubai

airport may soon be a thing of the past

DXB testing screening equipment and artificial intelligence to analyse contents of passengers' hand
luggage

July 29, 2025

Removing liquids exceeding 100 millimetres and laptops from hand luggage at Dubai International
Airport may soon become a thing of the past amid trials of new technology for faster security
checks.
DXB is testing new screening equipment and artificial intelligence that will analyse the contents of
passengers' hand luggage so they can pass through security checks carrying perfumes, creams and
bottles of liquid, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths told The National.

"We're already installing new machinery into both hold baggage screening and passenger baggage
screening, which means that laptops and liquids can stay in bags."

The next step is to harness AI to screen bags at security checkpoints to profile their contents at the
molecular level in a more detailed way, to quickly determine the safety of materials in question.

"AI can very quickly and powerfully check that there's nothing untoward that customers are taking
through those security channels, which will give us a more robust security service and also a much
faster one," Mr Griffiths said.

"AI making that decision will be quicker, more reliable and of course it doesn't need to take holidays
or take a break. So, the use of AI will be very productive in terms of enhancing customer service and
improving security."

'Frictionless experience'

Funnelling more passengers quickly through the airport means passengers spend less time waiting
in long queues and more leisure time before their flights. DXB, the world's busiest airport, handled a
record 46 million passengers in the first six months of this year, up 2.3 per cent from a year ago.

"The idea is that we really want a frictionless experience at DXB so that people can just breeze
through the airport without stopping, arrive at our lounges and restaurants, do shopping, and just
really hand them back that time so they're not standing in line waiting for things."

The technology will also help process more travellers faster through the airport, which is quickly
nearing its maximum capacity amid continued growth in passenger traffic.

"It's absolutely essential because obviously we've grown 20 per cent in the last 10 years without any
delivery of additional major infrastructure," Mr Griffiths said.

"So trying to make our existing infrastructure more and more efficient is a very important part of our
growth strategy over the next few years."

https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/aviation/2025/07/29/dubai-airport-luggage-security-
checks/