Dubai Health Authority to share Covid-19 medical records with Emirates

Dubai carrier Emirates and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have signed an MoU geared towards making the emirate one of the first cities in the world to implement digital verification of traveller medical records related to Covid-19 testing and vaccination.

Under the MoU, Emirates and DHA will work to link the IT systems of DHA-approved laboratories with Emirates’ reservations and check-in systems.

It will enable sharing, storing and verification of passenger health information related to Covid-19 infection, testing and vaccination, all in a secure and legally compliant manner.

The airline said that the project will commence immediately, with the aim of bringing it to “live” implementation in the coming months.

Emirates and @DHA_Dubai will create seamless digital verification of COVID-19 medical records for travellers. https://t.co/AnXo0jDvq8 #FlySaferWithEmirates #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter @DXB pic.twitter.com/GGhiaPQkgK

— Emirates Airline (@emirates) February 25, 2021

“Dubai is a leading global air transport hub, as well as one of the world’s most progressive cities in the area of e-government services,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive.

“It’s a natural step to combine our capabilities to implement digital verification of Covid-19 medical records, which will also enable contactless document verification at Dubai Airport. This will tremendously improve the traveller experience, as well as the reliability, efficiency and compliance with entry requirements imposed by destinations around the world.”

Emirates has already partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to trial the IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app that helps passengers manage their travel and conform with relevant government requirements for Covid-19 testing or vaccine information.

Read: UAE’s Emirates, Etihad to roll out IATA’s Travel Pass for Covid-19 test results and vaccination certificates

The airline said that it will implement phase 1 of the IATA Travel Pass in Dubai for the validation of Covid-19 PCR tests before departure. In this initial phase, expected to begin in April, Emirates customers travelling from Dubai will be able to share their Covid-19 test status directly with the airline even before reaching the airport through the app, which will then auto-populate the details on the check-in system.