The Department of Culture and Tourism—Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is rolling out a state-of-the-art Face Recognition System across hotels in the emirate, aiming to enhance efficiency and security for guests and employees.

The initiative, led by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Licensing & Regulatory Compliance Department, supports Abu Dhabi’s continued status as the world’s safest city, as ranked by Numbeo’s Safety Index for nine consecutive years.

Unveiled at the Arabian Travel Market, the system is designed to streamline guest verification, simplify check-in procedures, and significantly cut waiting times. The system captures biometric data during check-in, securely encrypting and retrieving information through ICP and storing it in a centralized database managed by DCT Abu Dhabi. Strict compliance with UAE cybersecurity and data privacy laws is being maintained, with the data used solely to enhance safety and streamline hotel operations.

H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “This initiative reflects our commitment to leveraging innovation to enhance the guest experience while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security for both guests and hospitality sector employees.”

This marks the first government-led partnership in Abu Dhabi to introduce face recognition technology in collaboration with hotels. The system is currently in a pilot phase at select properties, with an initial rollout planned across five-star hotels in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Al Dhafra Region. A second phase will extend the technology to four-star hotels before expanding further across the sector.

DCT Abu Dhabi is closely coordinating with hotel partners to ensure a smooth adoption, providing technical support, detailed briefings, and training. The technology is expected to boost operational efficiency and offer guests a seamless, tech-enabled experience by automating check-in and check-out.

The broader cooperation agreement between DCT Abu Dhabi and ICP focuses on supporting digital transformation across the tourism sector. It includes pilot projects, data protection measures, and system integration efforts to advance innovation, cybersecurity, and service quality while contributing to the UAE’s broader digitalization goals.