I've encountered facial recognition scans at a number of non-U.S. airports, mostly for immigration control.
Dubai's have been woefully inefficient, to the point that 5 out of 6 times I had to go border control agent anyway.
Japan I think it was only on departure, and the U.K. it was for arrival and departure. What reduces the efficiency is:
-the two-gate scenario (slows down traffic)
-folks who simply have no idea what is going on (whether it be a language issue, or wondering where to place the passport/look at the camera)
-and then there's the unreadable documents