Stellar speakers' lineup for Future of Borders Conference

24 experts from 12 countries to address the two-day event
ACI and IATA senior management to address
US, UK, Hong Kong & Netherlands immigration to speak
Future roadmap to be chalked out by experts
Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al Marri:  Participants to benefit from insights into the future travel trends  

Dubai, UAE, February 04, 2015: The Future of Borders GDRFA International Conference that Dubai will be hosting from March 11 and 12 will have a stellar line-up of 24 experts and top officials from 12 countries who will be sharing their vision about the future of international travel and border control.

Angela Gittens, Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) - the global body for the world’s airports with 573 members operating 1751 airports in 174 countries- will utilize the knowledge sharing platform to share her insights into the changing face of travellers’ facilitation and the challenges of border control in an increasingly mobile world.

Also sharing the podium will be Michael Herrero, Area Manager for the Arabian Gulf region at International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 250 airlines or 84 per cent of total air traffic.  

Top-ranking officials of the US, UK, Hong Kong and Netherlands immigration and border control authorities will also address the conference, bringing their valuable perspective about the issues of concern and trends which will help in chalking out the future roadmap for the borders control industry.

To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the global conference will take place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dubai International Financial Centre, from March 11 to 12. The conference will have five sessions, each devoted to airlines, airports, technology, government and border control sector. Sheikh Ahmed will open the conference.

The conference will come up with the best formula to achieve a balance between the need to strengthen the security and accelerate travel facilitation while maintaining high-quality services provided to travellers at airports, seaports and land border crossings.

His Excellency Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) which is hosting the conference, said: “The conference will pave the way for all stakeholders to develop not only borders industry, but also the travel and tourism industries and keep the momentum of cooperation and collaboration among them to implement the growth and expansion plans smoothly in line with the changing times.”

He added: “The conference provides an ideal platform to present UAE’s successful borders management experiment and its expertise in harnessing the latest technologies, smart gates, smart travel solutions and biometric devices to accelerate and facilitate travel.”

The international speakers include Lieutenant-General Dr. Hans Leijtens, General Director Royal Marechaussee, the Netherlands, Eric Chan Kwok- Ki, Director of Immigration, Hong Kong, Michael Herrero, Gulf Area Manager, IATA, Fergus Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Aer Lingus, Paul Moultrie, Head of Marketing, Airbus Middle East, John P. Wagner, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and  Teresa Hartley, Independent  Chief Inspector, Borders and Immigration, UK Home Office.

The UAE speakers include His Excellency Eng. Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Major General Mohammed Al Marri, Director General, GDRFA-Dubai, Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, GDRFA-Dubai, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports, and Thani Abdulla Alzaffin, Director General & Board Member, emaratech.

emaratech, the leading technology company for online solutions, system integration, IT consultancy and managed services, is the exclusive Host Sponsor. Emirates, the world’s largest international carrier, is the Official Carrier for the conference. Zajel is the official courier for the conference. Dubai Media Inc. is the Strategic Media Partner. Nadd Al Shiba PR & Event Management is the official PR agency and content producer for the conference. Congress Solutions International (CSI) is the conference producer.

More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the conference, including a large number of Interior ministers, heads of border control authorities, airlines CEOs, airports operators and representatives of international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI).

Tasked with regulating the entry and exit of travelers to the UAE through land, sea and air routes of the Emirate of Dubai, GDRFA-Dubai has introduced a slew of technology-driven initiatives designed for smooth and seamless facilitation of travelers at airports, sea ports and land crossings like M-visa and smart gates.