Miral Emphasizes Facial Recognition in Digital Transformation Efforts

The hospitality and entertainment specialist Miral is emphasizing digital transformation as it continues to bring new tourist experiences to Abu Dhabi. The company has spent more than AED 9 billion (roughly $2.5 billion USD) to revitalize the Abu Dhabi tourism industry in the past 10 years, and is the primary player behind the ongoing Yas Island development.

The full Miral portfolio includes Etihad Arena, as well as several luxury hotels in the Yas Bay area. Those hotels are close to an array of luxury entertainment and dining options, and Miral is hoping that digital technologies will help unify those attractions for Abu Dhabi visitors.

To that end, Miral kicked off its digital transformation with the debut of its MyConnect digital platform in 2018, and then followed up with the release of the FacePass facial recognition solution in 2021. MyConnect is designed to create a more connected and immersive environment for those in Yas Bay, while FacePass smoothes over potential friction points with contactless identity verification to deliver a more seamless guest experience.

The introduction of FacePass is in keeping with trends seen elsewhere in the hospitality industry. The Dubai Holding subsidiary Jumeirah Group recently announced that it would be using Incode’s facial recognition tech to deliver more personalized services, while NEC’s facial recognition tech has enabled biometric check-ins at hotels in Japan and Singapore.

For its part, Miral has also launched the Noor Initiative to take advantage of the data collected through its platform. The Initiative is an analytics solution that will allow Miral to identify potential areas of improvement across its guest services portfolio.

Miral’s discussion of its past, present, and future strategy was scheduled to coincide with this year’s Arabian Travel Market. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has asked the company to spearhead the development of Saadiyat Island, and will collaborate with Miral to build a Natural History Museum that will open in 2025.

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May 13, 2022 – by Eric Weiss