The shoppers have to tap their card or scan a QR code before entering the store for remote transactions.

It's not surprising that residents of Middle Eastern cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become used to the convenience of buying groceries, apparel and gadgets from the comfort of their homes during the lockdown, since they had access to one of the world's fastest data connections. But the urge to step out for shopping in the post-pandemic era, along with the need for social distancing in public, has created a preference for contactless services available in hybrid environments across malls and retail stores.

Alongside high-tech stores that have smart mirrors as well as kiosks to conduct transactions, shops in the UAE are also equipped with robots that manage warehouses, so that employees can focus more on customer satisfaction. But even that is about to change in a short time, since Abu Dhabi has also opened doors to its first ever convenience store, where consumers can simply walk in, pick up what they like and walk away without human interaction of any kind.

Set up by the country's top fuel company ADNOC, the store is equipped with AI that accurately takes stock of all products that are added to the cart by shoppers, so that they don't have to spend time waiting at counters before checking out. Visitors simply need to tap in using their cards or Emirati IDs, apart from which they also have the option to scan QR codes via smartphones before entering the store, so that automated transactions can take care of payments once they leave.

This may be the first shop of its kind in the Emirati capital, but similar services are also offered by grocery chain Carrefour in different parts of the UAE, reflecting a significant surge for the integration of contactless solutions in daily life.

Other than this, people in cities like Dubai are already enjoying hassle-free immigration via facial recognition at airports and contactless services offered at smart police stations.

With more than 450 fuel stations in the country, ADNOC is poised to spread the smart store trend across the country.