National ID card must in all emirates

A top official of the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has said that the Ministry of Interior’s decision to make the ID card mandatory for processing driving and vehicle licensing transactions is not for Abu Dhabi alone but for all emirates.

The authority has decided to set up a large fully equipped and serviced tent at the headquarters of the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Directorate in Abu Dhabi to process ID card applications of clients whose licensing formalities will not be completed without the card.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of EIDA’s higher administration committee on Monday on the sidelines of the ID World Abu Dhabi summit, said Abdul Aziz Al Mamari, Director of Public Relations and Marketing, EIDA.

The tent, he said, will be equipped with 20 computers and qualified staff to handle transactions. The directorate will accept the receipts of the ID card transactions, as the card delivery will take some days through the express mail.

Al Mamari said the ID card is mandatory for processing traffic and licensing transactions not only in Abu Dhabi but also in all emirates.

He said the ministry’s move came within its support for the new registration policy to enable EIDA complete its flagship and strategic project for ID Card and Population Register for both UAE citizens and expatriate residents.

He added that the move would increase the rate of registration in the project.

He said the EIDA has taken a raft of measures to deal with the long queues at the registration centres like transportation modes for people so that they could be taken to the centres that have lower turnout.

Ali Al Khoury, Deputy Chairman of the committee, and other executive managers are currently touring these registration centres to hear complaints and suggestions of applicants and address them on the spot.

The ministry announced in November last year its intention to make the ID card a must for completing traffic and licensing formalities for UAE nationals. It also granted a grace period of six months for residents to get the card before making it mandatory for these services.

The ID card became mandatory from Sunday.