Airport Show 2026 ran at Dubai World Trade Centre from 12 to 14 October. At the event, Dubai Police officials said 98% of passengers at Dubai International Airport passed security screening in less than five minutes. DXB handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and remains the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic.
The figures and security plans came up in two sessions. More than 150 exhibitors from over 30 countries took part, alongside forums on aviation security and airport leadership. Air traffic management was also on the agenda. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council, opened the exhibition. The event programme covered airport development and digital transformation. It also addressed aviation security and sustainability.
Officials described a move away from responding to incidents after they happen. They want to use data and forecasting to spot pressure points and potential risks earlier. The discussions come as Dubai prepares for continued growth in aviation demand and develops Al Maktoum International Airport. Its first phase is planned to begin operations in 2032, with capacity for 150 million passengers a year. Once complete, the airport is planned to handle up to 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo annually.
Forecasting passenger flows and speeding up checks
Dubai Police officials said passenger volumes can be forecast two months before travel, then refined to 15-minute intervals. Those estimates help teams plan staffing and prepare for peak periods. New screening equipment can process up to three times as many passengers as earlier systems. Upgraded checks also let passengers leave laptops and liquids inside their hand luggage.
Dubai's airport is also a test site for security technology. Officials discussed smart screening and centralised inspection rooms. Other systems include cameras that analyse movement and behaviour, along with passenger-flow monitoring. Dubai Police and Dubai Airports are developing a digital twin. Officials stressed that trained personnel must interpret the systems and make decisions. The technology is meant to support security officers, not replace them.
The wider security discussion covered missile and drone threats. Cyber threats also featured as airports review how to keep critical operations running during disruptions. D-Fend Solutions demonstrated its EnforceAir Plus counter-drone system. Udi Lowy, the company's Sales Director for GCC countries and India, said it can take control of an unknown drone and land it nearby rather than jam its signal. The National reported that DXB had received 111 aerial-threat warnings. The UAE Ministry of Defence reported 2,265 drone attacks on the country since 28 February. The security discussions addressed protection and continuity of airport operations.
The work builds on Dubai Police's presentation of specialist airport tools, including risk analysis and passenger-flow forecasting, in its airport security services report.
Pre-screened cargo and trained staff
A separate session covered cargo vehicle checks. Under the process described by officials, loads are inspected at warehouses outside the airport, then vehicles are secured with electronic seals. At the entrance, security staff can use a tablet to verify the seal and vehicle details. They can also check permits and identify possible tampering without repeating every stage of the cargo inspection.
Dubai Police also described a system that assesses recruits' capabilities during training. The results help match them with suitable security roles. Further plans include virtual exercises based on airport scenarios and joint training with Dubai Airports partners, including the oneDXB initiative for frontline staff.
Airport security teams hold daily coordination meetings and conduct quality checks to review operational issues and compliance. Officials said airport shift managers meet at least twice a day. Internal audits help prepare for assessments by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
