US Customs and Border Protection facility has officially opened at Zayed International Airport

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Zayed International Airport (AUH) officially opened on Friday, according to a statement released by AD Airports.

Since it opened at Zayed International Airport on October 9, the new US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility has processed tens of thousands of travelers, sparing them hours of waiting in line when they arrived in the US.

According to Jamil Musleh, the facility's port director, CBP is able to process high passenger loads rapidly because of cutting-edge technologies like facial recognition, streamlined arrival procedures, and a mobile passport control processing (MPC) app.

Additionally, the UAE and the US CBP recently established a Global Entry cooperation that enables UAE nationals to apply for expedited entry, which expedites the immigration and customs procedures for pre-approved travelers.

Etihad passengers have been able to obtain CBP preclearance at Abu Dhabi airports since January 2014. US travelers continued to enjoy CBP preclearance utilizing the old facility until the new location was ready when commercial flights were moved to the freshly opened Zayed International Airport (AUH) a year ago.

Leading US and Abu Dhabi Airport officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to commemorate the opening of the new facility.

As AUH commemorates its first anniversary, the facility—the sole US preclearance in the Middle East and Asia region—opens.