Ministry of Economy becomes first government institution to achieve 100 per cent adoption of National Identity Card

The initiative is within the framework of boosting national efforts to adopt the personal identification scheme, which is an identity management system and integrated population registry for residents and citizens of the UAE.

The rapid adoption rate was initiated by H.E. Sheikha Lubna Bint Khaled Al Qasimi, the UAE Minister of Economy, who was one of the first state officials to register with the population record and receive an identity card.

H.E. Darwish Ahmad Al Zaraouni, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA), the federal government organisation tasked with the development of the identity cards, praised the efforts of the Ministry. "I would like to thank the Ministry of Economy for their support of this national plan, as the Ministry has become the first governmental institution to have its entire staff obtaining an identity card, which will contribute to the creation of a modern and accurate population registry within the UAE."

"This card assists in the continual upgrading and updating of our population registry, and it also ensures the issuance of safe and reliable identity cards for all citizens and residents of the state in order to link the population registry with government regulations and other NGOs," Al Zaraouni added.

The EIDA has appealed to all government institutions in the country to follow the example set by the Ministry of Economy, and to support this national project. The new system, which will eventually encompass several key technologies ranging from smart cards, biometrics and key public infrastructure, aims to provide a reliable system that defines and verifies personal identity through a card. The card contains vital statistical data about an individual, and is considered to be an official accredited document by all governmental, semi-governmental and private institutions.

"These are valuable efforts that will ensure a secure environment for the life of all residents and citizens in the UAE, and will also help to protect the identity and privacy of every individual through the use of the most up-to-date technological mechanisms available. This service will also help to regulate the population registry, and thereby improve the allocation of economic resources," H.E. Mohamed Al Shihhi concluded.