US Customs and Border Protection is set to open a checkpoint in Dubai within the next year, following on from the recent launch of a similar facility in neighbouring Abu Dhabi.
The checkpoint allows passengers to complete immigration requirements before boarding their flight, saving them from going through the often arduous process when they arrive in the US.
The facility in Abu Dhabi was only the second outside of North America when it opened on January 24, following a long-established one in Ireland. Terminals also exist in Canada and parts of the Caribbean.
Speaking to Bloomberg, US Customs and Border Protection director Kevin McAleenan said that the agency would process 400,000 passengers from Abu Dhabi in 2014, up 60 percent from last year.
“We think it’s smart and efficient,” McAleenan told the news wire. “We’re going to have fewer people in lines, shorter lines and more officers to process them.” The extension of the system to Dubai will have the same impact, “but on a greater scale,” he added.
A number of US politicians and trade associations had previously criticised the decision to open the facility in Abu Dhabi, claiming it gave an unfair advantage to UAE carrier Etihad Airways.
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