Admission into the United States and border experience
 

It's been a long time since I last visited the U.S. My two visits were back in 2010 and then in 2012. In the first one (EWR) I was asked by the CBP officer why I was visiting, for how long and where I was staying at. In the second one (JFK) the CBP officer just took my fingerprints and photo and didn't ask anything at all about my trip. I've been wondering what the experience at the border could be like in my forthcoming trip (LAX) because this time, unlike the others, I have a stamp from a Muslim country - United Arab Emirates - on my passport, which I visited as a tourist in 2016. Do you think that might warrant further questioning? There have been a few "horror" stories on the news lately about people getting refused entry or secondary checks for having visited country A or B and so on so forth.

By the way, I'm planning to use the APC kiosks. Do you know what is it like at LAX? Is it worth using or is it faster to wait in the "regular" line for visitors? My flight arrives from CDG in the mid-afternoon, should I expect long waiting times at that time of the day? After an 11-hour flight I'll be just wanting to get to my hotel room as fast as possible.

In case you're wondering I'm a EU-passport holder and travel on an ESTA.

Don't you think that half the world would've been banned by now if a UAE stamp won't get you into the US? The only stamps that might pose problems are Iranian ones and those on the list of banned countries.

I have traveled to the US multiple times despite having several UAE & KSA visa stamps on my passport. It has never been questioned.

Ro

If you had a stamp from Iran/Iraq/Syria you would have cause for concern :)

The UAE - no.

You won't face any issues

Why are you looking for "horror stories"?
One can find horror stories on just about every topic. If you are someone who is looking for a reason to worry and stress, then that's too bad. It must be a difficult existence.
You might have an easy experience. You might have a difficult experience. It depends on the mood and personality of the agent you get.

Welcome to FT, RMO.

To answer your question, yes, you can use the kiosk, that's what they prefer at LAX, whether or not you've been given/have filled out a paper copy on the plane. The kiosk version takes your photo.
As to the length of the lines, well, you never know. If a couple of big planes dump out right before you get there, you'll be in a long line. There's no way to predict in advance how long the line will be.

Nothing that you've posted indicates that you will have any problems with US CBP. Answer any questions truthfully and be prepared with the details of your visit, accommodations, return ticket, etc.

Thank you everyone for your feedback!