CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

Biometric data activation centre opens for e-Gate users at HIA

Published: 12 Jan 2017 - 08:11 am | Last Updated: 05 Nov 2021 - 10:17 pm
Officials displaying the use of a self-service machine at HIA.

Officials displaying the use of a self-service machine at HIA.

The Peninsula

The Ministry of Interior said yesterday that it has opened biometric data activation centre for e-Gate users at the departures and arrivals lounges at Hamad International Airport (HIA).
The e-Gate service can be accessed by expatriates and their children aged over 18 years with their ID cards, without special charges. 
Col Mohamed Rashid Al Mazroui, Director of the Airport Passports Department, said that the activation centres at both the departures and arrival lounges have five self-service machines to complete the travel procedures for e-Gate users who have not activated their biometric data before. The Ministry has introduced newest electronic programme that enables the passengers to update their biometric data within less than one minute. 
He added that most of the residents have been registered in the database with only eye-print or finger print. The e-Gates can be used with biometric data of eye scan or fingerprint or with both prints in order to enable them to use e-Gate services. The activation office will work round the clock and a technician will be available to help passengers if they faced any difficulty in updating their data. 
The number of e-Gates will be increased to 35 in both the lounges in the next phase. After delivering their baggage, the passengers can complete their travel procedures through e-Gates and board the flight without approaching any staff, he added. Al Mazroui called on the residents to use e-Gates at HIA to complete their travel procedures easily without waiting in long queues at the immigration counters for staff to confirm the validity of their data and put departure or arrival stamp in their passports. He added that the department has set up a special counter adjacent to e-Gates to help travellers stamp in passports during departure or arrival, if they wanted. 
Major Khalid Muhammed Al Mulla, head of the Airport Passports section, said that the E-gates at HIA airport are accessible to residents with electronic or normal ID cards. A passenger has to place the ID card on e-reader at the e-Gate, which will read the biometric data stored on the card and verify it.
The device will then direct the passenger to move ahead as the first glass barrier will be opened giving access to the middle of the e-gate, if the leave notification has been already registered. The device will then match the data obtained from travel document by capturing his/her eye print and fingerprint and if the data matches the device will open the final exit gate, enabling the passenger to move to the boarding gate or baggage collection area.
He urged the residents who renew their passports to update their data through biometric data devices or at any Service Centre of the Ministry of Interior. If the new passport details haven’t been updated in the Passports Directorate system, the E-gate service system will show that the passport has expired and the gate can’t be opened. 
He added that in addition to updating the biometric data, the traveller can verify the validity of ID, passport, Residence permit and driving licence also through the self-service machines.