Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) is using next week’s Dubai Airshow to unveil a new generation of border-management and residency services designed to make entering, living and doing business in the emirate almost paper-free. The agency will demonstrate its upgraded Smart Corridor – a biometric e-gate that lets pre-registered travellers clear immigration in seconds – alongside a new Command-and-Control platform that gives officials real-time insight into passenger flows and security events.
Beyond the airport, GDRFA is rolling out the Salama Digital Platform, an AI-driven system that automates risk scoring and fraud detection for visa and residency applications. Officials say the tool has already cut manual document checks by 40 per cent during its pilot phase. Corporate mobility managers will also see enhancements to “Platform 04”, an omni-channel service hub that lets employers track work-permit requests, Golden Visa nominations, dependants’ applications and fines in one dashboard.
![GDRFA Dubai showcases seamless travel innovations at Dubai Airshow 2025]()
Two initiatives are likely to resonate with multinationals moving staff around the Gulf. First, the long-awaited GCC Resident Visa—allowing qualified UAE residents visa-on-arrival access to neighbouring states—will be displayed with target launch timelines and digital API specifications for airline and travel-management-company integration. Second, the new “Happiness Card for Tourists” packages visa data, payment functionality and city-marketing offers into a single NFC pass that can be pushed to Apple and Google wallets on approval.
GDRFA says the upgrades align with Dubai Vision 2033’s goal of becoming the world’s easiest place to visit and invest. They also anticipate traffic spikes created by the forthcoming unified GCC tourist visa and the emirate’s rapidly expanding expatriate population. For global employers, the message is clear: expect faster onboarding, shorter queues and richer data visibility when relocating staff to Dubai over the next 12 months.
Beyond the airport, GDRFA is rolling out the Salama Digital Platform, an AI-driven system that automates risk scoring and fraud detection for visa and residency applications. Officials say the tool has already cut manual document checks by 40 per cent during its pilot phase. Corporate mobility managers will also see enhancements to “Platform 04”, an omni-channel service hub that lets employers track work-permit requests, Golden Visa nominations, dependants’ applications and fines in one dashboard.
Two initiatives are likely to resonate with multinationals moving staff around the Gulf. First, the long-awaited GCC Resident Visa—allowing qualified UAE residents visa-on-arrival access to neighbouring states—will be displayed with target launch timelines and digital API specifications for airline and travel-management-company integration. Second, the new “Happiness Card for Tourists” packages visa data, payment functionality and city-marketing offers into a single NFC pass that can be pushed to Apple and Google wallets on approval.
GDRFA says the upgrades align with Dubai Vision 2033’s goal of becoming the world’s easiest place to visit and invest. They also anticipate traffic spikes created by the forthcoming unified GCC tourist visa and the emirate’s rapidly expanding expatriate population. For global employers, the message is clear: expect faster onboarding, shorter queues and richer data visibility when relocating staff to Dubai over the next 12 months.
