Published: 2026-08-27
Dubai Airports is replacing the security checkpoint equipment at Dubai International (DXB) with computed tomography (CT) scanners that build a high-resolution 3D image of a bag, so passengers keep liquids and laptops inside their hand luggage and no longer take off shoes and belts. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, confirmed on 2026-08-27 (Khaleej Times) that the rollout is under way across all three terminals under a contract Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) awarded to Smiths Detection in May 2025, and that the target is to replace all older machines so every passenger goes through the same procedure. In parallel, Terminal 1 is about to reopen a refurbished pier section with a new retail area.
What Dubai Airports said on 2026-08-27
«We are reinvesting in new technology security machines, so you don’t have to take liquids or laptops out of bags. The whole process is getting slicker, quicker, faster, and more convenient. The old days of take your belts off, take your shoes off, and all that sort of intrusion is going to be a thing of the past», Griffiths said.
According to the CEO, the programme is not a one-off switch but a gradual upgrade: «It’s already started. You’ll see, when you travel, the new machines already in, and the flooring’s being changed here. It’s just a gradual, ongoing programme of continuous upgrade». Two suppliers are involved: Smiths Detection delivers the security screening machinery, while EmaratTech supplies the new immigration technology. The stated goal is to eventually replace all older equipment so that the same standard of convenience applies at every lane, in every terminal.
The equipment: Smiths Detection HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX
The contract behind the rollout was announced by Smiths Detection on 2025-05-07, on the opening day of Airport Show 2025 in Dubai. DAEP, the engineering arm of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, selected the HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX Model-S, a computed tomography system for cabin baggage. Unlike a conventional 2D X-ray, a CT scanner rotates around the bag and reconstructs a 3D image that operators can turn and slice on screen, while algorithms with artificial intelligence and machine learning flag suspicious objects automatically. That is what removes the need to separate electronics and liquids: the software can see through the layers of a packed bag.
«We are proud to be awarded this contract, and the deployment of this cutting-edge technology will significantly enhance both the security and efficiency of passenger screening processes», said Jerome de Chassey, President of Smiths Detection, in the announcement. Trade coverage of the award added that the DXB configuration includes the iCMORE automatic object recognition software, automated tray return and smart lane management, and that the CTiX platform is certified by the TSA in the United States and by ECAC in Europe.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Airport | Dubai International (DXB), Terminals 1, 2 and 3 |
| Client | Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) |
| Supplier of screening | Smiths Detection |
| Supplier of immigration tech | EmaratTech |
| System | HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX Model-S, computed tomography, 3D imaging |
| Contract announced | 2025-05-07, multi-year |
| Scale reported | More than 100 hand-luggage screening machines to be upgraded during 2026 (The National, 2026-02-11) |
| Status on 2026-08-27 | Rollout in progress in all terminals, «gradual, ongoing programme» (Paul Griffiths) |
Timeline: from a Terminal 3 pilot to all three terminals
The programme has moved through several public milestones. In May 2025 the contract was signed. By September 2025 Dubai Airports was testing the first CT lanes in Terminal 3, the Emirates terminal, and Essa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President for Terminal Operations, told Khaleej Times that the change «will make travel much more smoother, convenient for passengers using Dubai airport»; the same report put the fleet to be replaced at about 140 machines, with installation targeted for May 2026 and full operation by the end of 2026. On 2025-10-02, Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports, confirmed to Gulf News the May 2026 target for completing the installation across all terminals.
In February 2026 The National reported, citing Griffiths, that more than 100 hand-luggage screening machines would be upgraded during 2026 and that five to six were already operating. On 2026-08-27 the CEO described the work as a continuous programme without naming a new completion date; the objective he gave is full replacement of the old equipment. In practice this means that in late August 2026 a passenger may still meet both kinds of lanes at DXB: a CT lane where everything stays in the bag, and a legacy X-ray lane where the old rules apply. The signage at the lane and the instructions of the screening staff decide which procedure is in force.
What changes for the passenger
- At a CT-equipped lane, liquids, aerosols and gels stay inside the hand luggage; there is no need to take out the transparent bag.
- Laptops, tablets and other electronics stay in the bag as well; the 3D image lets the operator inspect them in place.
- Shoes and belts stay on. Griffiths explicitly named both as practices that «are going to be a thing of the past» at DXB.
- Fewer trays per passenger means shorter queues: this is the operational reason Dubai Airports gives for the investment, alongside better detection.
- Rules at the other end of the trip may differ. Many airports still enforce the 100 ml limit on liquids at older X-ray lanes, so a traveller flying DXB to a smaller airport and back should pack for the strictest checkpoint on the itinerary.
- Where a lane still has older equipment, the previous procedure applies; follow the staff instructions rather than assuming the new rules everywhere.
Terminal 1: refurbished pier and new retail zone
The same briefing brought a second piece of news. Griffiths said Dubai Airport is about to reopen a brand-new, refurbished «hammerhead», the wide end section of a pier, at Terminal 1, with a new retail area. «We are opening a brand new retail area, which will just blow you away. The fashion that’s going to be on offer there is going to be amazing. We’re continuing to invest in DXB very heavily, and the business case to do that is incredibly solid. Those projects will pay themselves back very, very quickly indeed», he said. No opening date or investment figure was given.
The context is the airport’s traffic. DXB handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and, as we reported a day earlier, Dubai Airports expects to reach 100 million passengers a year within 18 months before the long-term transfer of operations to Al Maktoum International (DWC). Security throughput is one of the bottlenecks that determine how much traffic the existing terminals can absorb, which is why the checkpoint upgrade sits next to retail and immigration projects in the same investment programme.
Why this matters for business travellers
For a founder or manager who flies through Dubai monthly, the change removes one of the most time-consuming steps of the journey. The screening upgrade complements two other improvements at DXB this year: Dubai Customs has cut customs clearance in arrival halls from 45 minutes to under 5, and Terminal 3 now has a dedicated Uber and Careem rider lounge. Taken together, the arrival and departure chain at DXB is being shortened at each step where a queue used to form.
There is also a practical side for anyone carrying samples, devices or documents for business: with CT lanes, a bag with several laptops, cables and product samples goes through as one item instead of being unpacked into trays, which reduces both the time and the risk of leaving something behind at the checkpoint.
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Conclusion
Dubai Airports is executing the May 2025 Smiths Detection contract terminal by terminal: CT scanners with 3D imaging are already in service, flooring and lanes are being rebuilt, and the CEO’s stated target is a full replacement of the old X-ray machines. For passengers the outcome is concrete: liquids, laptops, shoes and belts stay where they are. The remaining variable is timing, since the rollout is gradual and no new completion date was named on 2026-08-27; until it is finished, the lane signage decides which procedure applies.
FAQ
Do I still need to take liquids and laptops out of my bag at Dubai Airport?
Not at lanes equipped with the new Smiths Detection CT scanners: the 3D image lets the operator check liquids and electronics inside the bag. Dubai Airports is installing these scanners across Terminals 1, 2 and 3 under a contract signed in May 2025, but the rollout is gradual, so at a lane with older equipment the previous procedure still applies. Follow the lane signage and staff instructions.
Do I have to remove shoes and belts at DXB security now?
According to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on 2026-08-27, removing shoes and belts «is going to be a thing of the past» at DXB as the new machines replace the old ones. At CT-equipped lanes shoes and belts stay on. The airport’s goal is to replace all older equipment so the same procedure applies at every lane.
Which scanners is Dubai Airport installing and who supplies them?
The system is the HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX Model-S from Smiths Detection, a computed tomography scanner for cabin baggage with AI-based automatic threat detection. Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) awarded the multi-year contract on 2025-05-07 for all terminals at DXB. EmaratTech supplies the separate new immigration technology.
When will all terminals at Dubai Airport have the new 3D scanners?
Earlier targets were May 2026 for installation (Dubai Airports COO Majed Al Joker, October 2025) and full operation by the end of 2026. In February 2026 more than 100 machines were scheduled for upgrade during the year. On 2026-08-27 Paul Griffiths described the work as an ongoing programme without naming a new completion date, with full replacement of old equipment as the objective.
