Gulf News, 17 February 2026: The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department introduced a new facial‑recognition system to authenticate legal transactions, replacing traditional digital signatures in a first‑of‑its‑kind rollout for the region.

Authorities confirmed that the initial phase of the project would apply to power of attorney procedures for lawyers, allowing approvals to be completed through smart devices without requiring a digital signature. The system uses encrypted biometric data and real‑time verification against official government records to ensure a high level of identity security.

The Judicial Department plans to gradually expand the use of facial recognition to notary and authentication services in upcoming phases.

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