Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013
Abu Dhabi: A mobile phone application launched by Emirates Identity Authority (Emirates ID) will help save UAE residents 80 million minutes and more than Dh120 million per year.
This is the estimated cost of around four million applications annually received by the authority, an Emirates ID statement said.
The savings include the time required to reach service centres, waiting to fill in the application, typing fees and indirect costs for transport and parking, asides from the authority’s operational cost.
Emiratis and other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) citizens can renew their national ID cards in two minutes through the newly introduced mobile phone applications with effect from Wednesday. This service will be available for expatriates in the first quarter of 2014.
The authority has launched a batch of services through mobile phones and tablets. Transactions can be completed in simple and easy steps that will save time and effort for customers, government and the authority.
The five 5 “smart” services in English and Arabic through ‘Android’ based mobile phone applications are part of the UAE’s “m-Government” (mobile-government) project.
The pilot services include ID card renewal for Emiratis and GCC citizens, tracking progress of transactions for all residents in the UAE, sending suggestions, complaints, notifications and locating Emirates ID service centres and approved typing centres.
Dr Ali Mohammad Al Khoury, Emirates ID Director-General, said the services are part of the “smart government” initiative.
The authority has almost completed the e-link project with government entities, which will simplify government services and streamline official transactions. It has doubled efforts to develop its infrastructure and add more security features that support government entities in launching reliable smart applications through mobile phones and devices.
Dr Al Khoury said the second batch of smart services will be launched in the first quarter of 2014.
Emirates ID underlined that a user profile personalisation service which is included in this batch of smart services will allow the ID card data and verification of customer’s identity to be read through NFC technology, thereby eliminating the need for e-readers. The application status tracking service will enable customers to check the progress of their transactions through their mobile phones at any time.
Meanwhile, the notifications and geo-location service will allow customers to easily locate Emirates ID’s nearest sites and approved typing centres as well as displaying the key provided services and notifications related to ID card validity within a unified and integrated panel.
Staff Report
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
