General Directorate of Passports visits NEOM to preview the latest airport technologies

NEOM, Saudi Arabia, May 2, 2024 – Lieutenant General Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, Director General of Passports (Jawazat), has visited NEOM – the sustainable development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia – this week. Received by NEOM CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, Al-Yahya and his delegation toured NEOM Bay Airport, along with the project’s command-and-control center and other key NEOM facilities.

Al-Yahya began his visit by taking in the expanded NEOM Bay Airport, where he was briefed on its latest technologies and initiatives, including its future contactless eGates for passport control. Using high-resolution cameras that capture each traveler’s biometrics, the automated border control system currently on trial will allow international visitors to NEOM a smooth travel experience.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joins a shortlist of countries investing in and offering travelers contactless automated border control systems at airports. NEOM’s self-service eGate system is being developed in cooperation with Jawazat, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and the National Information Center, in addition to other government agencies.

As Jawazat provides a range of services across Saudi Arabia for passengers arriving at and departing from airports and with numerous major projects underway at NEOM, the directorate was invited to NEOM to see the progress made to date. The ongoing partnership between NEOM and Jawazat aims to strengthen knowledge exchange between the two organizations, all while improving the overall traveler experience.

Lieutenant General Al-Yahya's visit also included the operations room at the 24/7 command-and-control center, where he inspected NEOM’s integration of real-time analytics A.I. and predictive systems into the safety and security of NEOM’s residential communities.