Dubai Airport Tests Autonomous Wheelchair for Passengers

An autonomous wheelchair at Dubai International Airport carries passengers from check-in to their departure gate. Airport operators are weighing whether to extend its trial beyond Terminal 1.

Airport assistance

Dnata is testing the wheelchair at concourse D in Terminal 1. Four light detection and ranging cameras equip the vehicle, which can be programmed to collect passengers from a lounge and take them to the plane during boarding. Passengers travelling alone can stop anywhere in the airport using a manual override.

The trial appeared among solutions at the Dubai AccessAbilities Expo, which opened on Monday, October 19, 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre. The exhibition displayed technology for people with impaired mobility, sight and hearing, as well as people with intellectual disabilities. Visitors with disabilities were invited to try the solutions, and airport operators are considering extending the wheelchair trial to Terminal 3.

Suhail Amshan, senior manager in the office of accessibility and inclusion at Emirates, said more people had become comfortable discussing their 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 for more comfortable travel.

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

Training and tailored services

Emirates offers digital sensory guides, sensory products such as fidget toys, and tailored assistance. Its travel rehearsal programmes let families get familiar with airport procedures before travelling. Since the programmes launched in 2023, Emirates has introduced them in about 80 airports.

The airline has also introduced business-class lounges, biometric passport scanners and check-in desks designed for wheelchair access. Amshan said staff received training to answer questions and use available resources to customise solutions for individual passengers.

“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.” Staff still aren't familiar with or aware of everything, he said, describing accessibility as an evolving area for the airline.

The exhibition also featured AI-powered smart glasses offering 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 was presented as a way to help people build confidence and skills.

Access and market projections

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. The global assistive technology market for people with disabilities was projected to reach $98.7 billion by 2033, while the mobility aids market alone was expected to reach $1.1 billion by 2031.

Dubai Health Authority presented its Sanadhum initiative, a regulatory and awareness project intended to strengthen healthcare facilities' compliance with requirements for people of determination. It includes field inspection campaigns across health services to check readiness, ease of access and priority. Asma Al Sharif, chief executive of DHA's Health Regulatory Sector, said comprehensive health care includes building a system that enables people of determination to access services efficiently, with dignity and independence.

Ghassan Suleiman, chief executive of AccessAbilities Expo, said the event had become a global platform for exchanging expertise and helping shape accessibility and inclusion. He said developments in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and the Internet of Things had accelerated innovation across the sector.