Tag Archives: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai (GDRFA) to further facilitate the delivery of smart services to investors, entrepreneurs and startups, particularly homegrown entities, and help them develop their businesses in areas such as technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart city applications. Aligned with Dubai’s Smart Government strategy and the UAE Vision 2021, the agreement will ensure the protection of intellectual property and enhance creative thinking skills and applications, while boosting cooperation in the scientific, training and professional fields as well as the exchange of expertise in legal, technical and administrative matters. As part of the MoU, the GDRFA will set up an office in DSOA’s headquarters to provide government services directly to Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)-based entrepreneurs and investors. Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DSOA, signed the MoU with Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, GDRFA, in the presence of senior officials from the two sides. Dr Mohammed Alzarooni said, “DSOA is committed to growing and developing its services according to the Smart Dubai initiative, which aims to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. We are pleased to sign this partnership agreement with a pioneering entity such as GDRFA that is known for its extremely effective and efficient smart government services and for achieving high levels of customer happiness. Notably, the agreement supports the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 in shaping an attractive environment that empowers creative entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful projects that serve the national economy.” Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said: “Our agreement is …

Dubai Airports, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and Emaratech marked the completion of the installation of 20 smart gates at Dubai International’s (DXB) Terminal 1. The new smart gates are now fully operational in the arrivals area of Terminal 1 in addition to the 10 installed last year in departures. In total, some 127 smart gates are available across the entire airport reducing average transaction times from minutes to under 10-15 seconds. The launch of the new smart gates coincides with the start of UAE’s Month of Innovation, which is being observed from February 1 to 28 in response to a call last year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, to promote a culture of innovation. “Smart gates make customers’ journey smoother by slashing transaction times to just 10-15 seconds and shortening queues,” said Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President—Technology & Infrastructure, Dubai Airports. “What’s surprising is that only 17 per cent of our passengers take advantage of the service. If you have a UAE residency card, don’t wait in line, use it.”

A new service that enables the use of Emirates ID cards to pass through automated immigration gates at Dubai International (DXB) is gaining popularity, with more than 234,000 UAE residents using it during its phased roll out. Completely free of charge and requiring no pre-registration, the new service makes passing through immigration Smart Gates fast and convenient for all UAE residents. The first of its kind in the region, it is the result of the joint efforts of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), the Emirates Identity Authority and Dubai Airports. The new service, available on all 127 Smart Gates across all three terminals at Dubai International, has been enabled by creating a secure and efficient link between various operational systems and databases managed by Emirates Identity Authority, GDRFA and Dubai Airports. Upon inserting the Emirates ID Card into the Smart Gate, the system can quickly, accurately and efficiently confirm the identity, travel plans and eligibility of UAE residents to enter and depart the country.