“Those who want to make use of the electronic facility should approach the registration center at the two airports to get their e-gate cards,” the Passport Department said in a statement on Saturday.
Officers at the registration center will check an applicant’s identity and upload his/her biometric features (fingerprints and eye images) into the system before issuing the e-gate card with the applicant’s photo.
The Passport Department indicated that the e-gate facility will be available at other airports in the Kingdom shortly. “People will not need to stand in long queues at immigration counters to get their passports verified and stamped by officers,” it said.
The statement did not say how much the e-card would cost. But according to an official at King Fahd Airport in Dammam it would cost SR200 annually. It would be a big relief for frequently traveling businessmen and women, executives and government officials.
The new system will be able to process passengers through the electronic immigration gate at an average time of five to seven seconds per person to ensure faster and safer immigration at airports.
“The e-gate system is very good news for Saudis and expatriates as well as foreign businessmen and women,” said Rafeek Younus, managing director of Saudi Engineering Group International (SEGI).
“It will enhance the Kingdom’s international reputation,” Younus told Arab News. “We used to hear from our foreign guests that they had to wait at the airport for hours. The new system will put an end to such complaints,” he said.
Younus, who has been promoting Saudi Arabia as an ideal place for investment, said the new system will attract more foreign investors and executives to the Kingdom to do business with their Saudi counterparts.
The introduction of the speedy electronic system is significant as the number of passengers using airports is increasing by five percent annually. According to airlines and airport forecasts, this trend will continue over the next 10 years.
With the new e-gate system, immigration officers will complete the clearance process by just asking passengers to punch their cards at the e-gate and place their index fingers on an allocated space on the gate to get a biometric print.
According to a previous statement issued by Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, director general of the Passport Department, both Saudis and expatriates would benefit from the system. “The e-gate system gets rid of routine procedures at airports and will save passengers' time,” he said.
Dubai International Airport introduced the system in 2002. The system is also available in neighboring Qatar.
