Qatar’s Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani held an official talks session with Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Doha on Wednesday.

The Qatari Minister of Interior and his Saudi counterpart also attended the signing of a cooperation agreement to exchange personal data and information for security purposes.

Both Ministers also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for scientific, training and research cooperation between the Ministries of Interior in the two countries, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

In another development, the Saudi Ministry of Interior launched the Smart Gates Project today at NEOM Bay Airport.

The project is a collaboration between the General Directorate of Passports, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and NEOM that aims to improve the efficiency of passenger procedures by allowing passengers to scan their biometric data at self-service kiosks.

The initiative is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance quality of life by implementing high-efficiency digital solutions in Saudi cities, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Also present at the event were Assistant Minister of Interior for Technology Affairs Prince Dr. Bandar bin Abdullah bin Mishari, SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, Director General of Passports Lieutenant General Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, SDAIA National Information Center Director Dr. Esam bin Abdullah Al-Wagait, and NEOM CEO Eng. Nadhmi Al-Nasr.