Iris Scanning Not Harmful for Eyes, Assures Official

The official made this clarification while talking to Khaleej Times.

Rubbishing rumours in this regard, Al Raisi said the Iris scanning system (eye scan) had been tested before being implemented in the country, and no harmful effects were detected.

Some people have expressed apprehensions that the eyes might be harmed by the scan, he said.

Since the eye scanning system was implemented at the airports and entry points in the country in October 2002 and until last month (August 2008), the security agencies found out 281,566 persons who were convicted and deported in different cases, trying to re-enter the country, he said.

The UAE is the first country to have implemented the eye-scanning system, and it has the biggest ever accredited database on eye scan, said Lt. Col. Anwar Al Mulla, Deputy Director of Communications and IT Section at the Central Operations Department of Abu Dhabi Police.

adel@khaleejtimes.com