Passengers flying between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain no longer have to queue twice at immigration. On February 16–17, the two Gulf neighbours quietly switched on the pilot phase of the “One-Point Air Travellers” project at Abu Dhabi’s new Zayed International Airport and Bahrain International Airport. Under the scheme, Emirati and Bahraini citizens complete biometric enrolment, customs declarations and exit/entry formalities before departure. On arrival they can walk straight to baggage claim or connecting flights.
The system links border-control databases in real time, letting officials risk-assess passengers hours before touchdown. Dedicated lanes funnel travellers through e-gates equipped with facial-recognition cameras and automatic passport readers; officers from both countries are co-located air-side to stamp digital entry permits. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) says the pilot will run for six months before expanding to expatriate residents and eventually to the wider Gulf Co-operation Council as a foundation stone for the mooted “GCC Grand Tours” visa.
![UAE & Bahrain Start Pilot “One-Point Air Travellers” Pre-Clearance Between Abu Dhabi and Manama]()
For businesses shuttling staff between the UAE’s capital and Bahrain’s financial centre, the project promises materially shorter door-to-desk times. Airlines foresee quicker turnarounds while airports gain extra capacity without new infrastructure. Travel-management companies should update corporate profiles so that eligible employees register for pre-clearance in advance; failure to do so means reverting to normal queues on arrival.
Travellers who still require visas for the UAE, Bahrain or other destinations can streamline the paperwork ahead of time through VisaHQ. The platform’s online application tools and expert assistance—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for UAE options—enable both individuals and corporate travel managers to secure e-visas, work permits and document legalisations quickly, ensuring they are prepared to take full advantage of the new one-point clearance lanes as soon as eligibility widens.
Although limited to citizens for now, officials have hinted that Phase 2 could cover holders of UAE Golden Visas and Bahrain’s new 10-year Residency Permit, a step that would align nicely with the unified GCC tourist visa due in 2026-27. If successful, the model could be replicated on the high-volume Dubai–Riyadh and Doha–Abu Dhabi corridors, signalling a broader shift toward Schengen-style border integration in the Gulf.
The system links border-control databases in real time, letting officials risk-assess passengers hours before touchdown. Dedicated lanes funnel travellers through e-gates equipped with facial-recognition cameras and automatic passport readers; officers from both countries are co-located air-side to stamp digital entry permits. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) says the pilot will run for six months before expanding to expatriate residents and eventually to the wider Gulf Co-operation Council as a foundation stone for the mooted “GCC Grand Tours” visa.
For businesses shuttling staff between the UAE’s capital and Bahrain’s financial centre, the project promises materially shorter door-to-desk times. Airlines foresee quicker turnarounds while airports gain extra capacity without new infrastructure. Travel-management companies should update corporate profiles so that eligible employees register for pre-clearance in advance; failure to do so means reverting to normal queues on arrival.
Travellers who still require visas for the UAE, Bahrain or other destinations can streamline the paperwork ahead of time through VisaHQ. The platform’s online application tools and expert assistance—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for UAE options—enable both individuals and corporate travel managers to secure e-visas, work permits and document legalisations quickly, ensuring they are prepared to take full advantage of the new one-point clearance lanes as soon as eligibility widens.
Although limited to citizens for now, officials have hinted that Phase 2 could cover holders of UAE Golden Visas and Bahrain’s new 10-year Residency Permit, a step that would align nicely with the unified GCC tourist visa due in 2026-27. If successful, the model could be replicated on the high-volume Dubai–Riyadh and Doha–Abu Dhabi corridors, signalling a broader shift toward Schengen-style border integration in the Gulf.
