US Customs to clear travelers in UAE itself

Passengers travelling from the UAE to Washington DC no longer have to wait in long US Customs lines because of a new pre-clearance facility in Abu Dhabi's airport.

US Embassy spokesman Jeffrey Ladenson told The Associated Press on Sunday that the first flight using the US Customs and Border Protection preclearance inspection took off on Friday from Abu Dhabi to Washington-Dulles airport.

The US has preclearance passenger facilities throughout Canada, in four Caribbean locations and Ireland. The new facility in Abu Dhabi is the Middle East's first.