Visits to the bank which were cut short with the beginning of the new normal, gave way to an unprecedented surge in demand for fintech and digital transactions in the UAE. E-payments took over with online shopping becoming the norm, but this rapid migration towards the virtual marketplace also created a need for tighter cyber security measures.

Although getting the job done through banking apps is a lot more convenient, the process of verifying the identity becomes difficult when the customer isn't physically present. To address this concern caused by the risk of scams in the fintech space, UAE has brought a safety measure tested at public spaces, into the digital realm.

As part of a push by the Emirati interior ministry, Abu Dhabi's Islamic Bank has become the first in the country to integrate facial recognition into its verification mechanism. The system will enable users to get hassle-free approvals for new accounts, simply by clicking a selfie, and uploading it through an app.

The intelligent system will compare images received from smartphone cameras, with data from Emirati digital IDs in the ministry's database, as well as passports. This not only speeds up the process for citizens, who won't have to submit multiple documents anymore, but also secures bank accounts against cybercrooks.

Based on Artificial Intelligence, the innovation is in line with other measures that the Emirati government has introduced for swift digitisation of public services. Similar systems are also being adopted by fintech apps, and organisations can even use biometrics as a digital signature, for virtual agreements.

Facial recognition tech did trigger speculation when it was deployed at metro stations in Dubai last year, but since then it has been used effectively to nab criminals and monitor crowds. The Dubai airport has also started using biometrics to scan faces, so that people can simply walk through immigration without even having to show their passport.