Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced plans to introduce palm payment technology for public transportation by 2026. This futuristic system will allow passengers to simply hover their hand at the gates of the Dubai Metro or other transit services, eliminating the need for physical cards or apps.
The concept was unveiled at the 44th GITEX Global conference at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The palm payment system will initially link with the nol card, a common payment method for public transport in Dubai. Passengers will first scan their nol card and register their palm’s unique prints and veins. Afterward, their palm will function as a payment method, as long as their account has sufficient funds.
The technology, still in the proof-of-concept stage, is expected to be available for use on buses, the metro, the tram, and eventually retail partners like Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarket. However, the RTA emphasized that the system must be refined to ensure it matches the half-second speed of current nol card scans.
Salah Al Marzouqi, Director of Automated Collection at the RTA, said the primary focus is to avoid delays in passenger queues. “It should take either half a second or less for the machine to scan the palm,” he noted in a Time Out Dubai report.
The palm payment system is part of Dubai’s broader move towards becoming a cashless society. The RTA is currently working with various companies to ensure the reliability and accuracy of palm scans before the technology is fully implemented. Once introduced, palm payment will operate alongside existing nol card and app payment options.
