Dubai Expo Showcases Assistive Tech for Disabled Travelers

An autonomous wheelchair is under trial at Dubai International Airport. It’s one of the more striking solutions on display this week at the Dubai AccessAbilities Expo, which opened on Monday, October 19, 2026. The chair carries passengers from check-in to their departure gate. Four light detection and ranging cameras help guide it, and operators can program it to collect passengers from a lounge and take them to the plane during boarding. Dnata is running the trial at concourse D in Terminal 1, while airport operators consider whether to extend it to Terminal 3.

The Practical Problem

Engineering is only part of the story. Suhail Amshan, senior manager in the office of accessibility and inclusion at Emirates, said the airline has seen more people grow comfortable raising their needs. “Coming into the airports can feel a little overwhelming,” he said. In the past, some people didn’t feel at ease approaching Emirates staff to request accommodations. The airline is trying to remove that hesitation.

Emirates earned certification as the world’s first autism-certified airline from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. To qualify, the airline trained more than 30,000 front-line staff and cabin crew to understand autism and the special requirements of air travel. Support includes digital sensory guides, sensory products such as fidget toys, and tailored assistance. Since launching in 2023, the airline’s travel rehearsal programmes, which let families become familiar with airport procedures before they fly, have reached about 80 airports.

Amshan was candid about the limits of staff knowledge. “The first time that crew interact with a person with a disability, the scenario might not have been something they’ve been trained for,” he said. “Everyone has a different requirement and deals with travel in different ways. There are lots of things that we’re still not familiar with or are aware of. It’s an ever evolving space from our perspective.”

The Technology on Show

The exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre displayed equipment for people with impaired mobility, sight and hearing, and for people with intellectual disabilities. Visitors with disabilities could try the solutions themselves. Among the exhibits: AI-powered smart glasses that offer real-time translation and assistance for people with visual disabilities, and electronic prosthetic limbs designed to replicate natural movement and give users greater independence. Therapeutic riding also featured, as a way to help people build confidence and skills.

Market projections indicate the scale of investment. The global assistive technology market for people with disabilities is projected to reach $98.7 billion by 2033, while the mobility aids market alone is expected to reach $1.1 billion by 2031. Global studies indicate that 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology by 2030. Yet only 10 per cent currently have access to the products they need.

Regional Scale and Health Care

Onward Accessibility, a US digital accessibility services company, estimates that more than 50 million people with disabilities live in the Middle East. The World Health Organisation estimates that people with disabilities make up about 10 to 16 per cent of any society’s population. Around 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability.

Dubai Health Authority presented its Sanadhum initiative at the exhibition. The regulatory and awareness project aims to strengthen healthcare facilities’ compliance with requirements for people of determination, including the Dubai Universal Design Code and health policies. It includes field inspection campaigns across all health services to check readiness and ensure ease of access and priority. Asma Al Sharif, chief executive of DHA’s Health Regulatory Sector, said comprehensive care “extends to building an integrated health system that considers the needs of people of determination and ensures they can access services efficiently, with dignity and independence.”

What Comes Next

Ghassan Suleiman, chief executive of AccessAbilities Expo, said the event has become a global platform for exchanging expertise as it enters its eighth year. “Technological developments such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and the Internet of Things have accelerated innovation across the sector,” he said. “This has helped improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world.”

Why This Matters:

The autonomous wheelchair trial, the autism certification and the Sanadhum inspections point toward the same practical goal: getting people with disabilities through airports and clinics without friction or humiliation. The gap between the 3.5 billion people who will need assistive technology by 2030 and the 10 per cent who can currently get it is large. Governments and private operators can start closing it through standards, procurement and inspection. Whether the Dubai airport trial moves beyond concourse D and into Terminal 3 will show how seriously airport operators take that obligation. Staff training, not just hardware, will decide whether these tools work for the travelers who need them most.