UAE Tests Accessible Airport Wheelchair Technology

An autonomous wheelchair at Dubai International Airport carries passengers from check-in to their departure gate, and airport operators are considering expanding the trial. The equipment is among the technologies at the Dubai AccessAbilities Expo, which began on Monday, October 19, 2026.

Airport access

Dnata is testing the wheelchair at concourse D in Terminal 1. Four light detection and ranging cameras guide it. Operators can program it to collect passengers from a lounge and take them to the plane during boarding. Passengers travelling alone can use a manual override to stop anywhere in the airport. Operators are considering extending the trial to Terminal 3.

Suhail Amshan, senior manager in the office of accessibility and inclusion at Emirates, said more people had grown comfortable discussing accommodation requirements. “Coming into the airports can feel a little overwhelming,” he said. In the past, some people may not have felt comfortable approaching Emirates staff to request accommodations that could make travel more comfortable.

Emirates became the world's first autism-certified airline, a certification awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. The airline trained more than 30,000 front line staff and cabin crew to understand autism and special requirements for air travel.

The airline offers digital sensory guides, sensory products such as fidget toys, and tailored assistance. Its travel rehearsal programmes help families get familiar with airport procedures before travelling. The programmes launched in 2023 and now operate in about 80 airports. Emirates has also introduced business-class lounges, biometric passport scanners and check-in desks designed for wheelchair access.

“The first time that crew interact with a person with a disability, the scenario might not have been something they've been trained for,” Amshan said. “Everyone has a different requirement and deals with travel in different ways. Our staff are trained to answer all questions and have tools on their hands and resources for them to constantly be able to customise solutions for that person. There are lots of things that we are still not familiar with or are aware of. It is an ever evolving space from our perspective.”

Solutions on display

Dubai World Trade Centre hosted the exhibition, with technology for people with impaired mobility, sight and hearing, as well as people with intellectual disabilities. Visitors with disabilities could try the solutions. Exhibits included AI-powered smart glasses that offer real-time translation and assistance for people with visual disabilities, plus 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.

Healthcare and access

Dubai Health Authority presented its Sanadhum initiative, a regulatory and awareness project designed to strengthen healthcare facilities' compliance with requirements for people of determination. These include the Dubai Universal Design Code and health policies. The initiative involves field inspection campaigns across all health services to check readiness and ensure ease of access and priority.

“Providing comprehensive health care goes beyond developing infrastructure and services,” said Asma Al Sharif, chief executive of DHA's Health Regulatory Sector. “It 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.”

The global assistive technology market for people with disabilities was projected to reach $98.7 billion by 2033. The mobility aids market alone was expected to reach $1.1 billion by 2031. 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 people with disabilities make up about 10 to 16 per cent of any society's population, and that around 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, including more than 50 million in the Middle East. Global studies indicate that 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology by 2030, while only 10 per cent currently have access to the products they need.

Ghassan Suleiman, chief executive of AccessAbilities Expo, said the event had become a global platform for exchanging expertise and helping shape the future of accessibility and inclusion as it entered its eighth year. He said technological developments such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and the Internet of Things had accelerated innovation across the sector.