Author: Zara

28/07/2013

Our ever-changing and ever-renovating life continuously leads us towards nonstop updates even in our very minimal personal details and data.

Here, at the Emirates Identity Authority, updating the data of the population register and the ID cards is a daily ongoing process where the latest data pertaining to ID card holders will be saved in the smart chip of the card which has become a very vital document for facilitating the completion of any transaction at the majority of public and private institutions in the country.

Today, at the customer service counters, we carry out a variety of updates and changes.. Here you see a customer who comes carrying a new family book starting a new life having been removed from his father’s family book leaving his page as a son among his other family members to fill a new page as a family head.

And there; another customer comes full of confidence and pride of his educational achievements, extremely happy that he will add a new educational record to his data register.

At the waiting hall, a third customer sits with different expressions on his face; expressions of parenthood and love while he stares at the documents in his hands.. It is a new born baby joined his family to grow and spin the life cycle again; become a student, then join work and then become a father and take part in building up the country.

Here comes our role as employees at the Emirates ID in keeping pace with the changes and the updates.. it is a hard mission sometimes and very precise at others, however, we gladly do it because we believe that our work will have positive impact on ourselves, the people and our generous country, and that it is time for us to reward those who gave us the opportunity to work for the Emirates ID.

On behalf of myself and my colleagues, I extend my thanks and gratitude and reconfirm our pledge to be loyal to our dear country and to work with the team spirit towards more accomplishments and the best achievements.

22/07/2013

Day after day, the Emirates Identity Authority’s endeavor to build its sophisticated ID systems is making a remarkable progress on the road towards achieving the e-transformation sought by the UAE. Emirates ID’s efforts contribute to the UAE’s efforts to achieve the most advanced technological levels in this field. This has inspired the various government entities, centers and departments in the country to explore broader horizons in order to enhance this advancement towards materializing the UAE vision.

Since His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE announced 2008 as “the National Identity Year”, a flurry of official activities started by leaps and bounds, and are still going on, with the aim of exploring the best ways to preserve our national identity and reinforce its values in the UAE society which is characterized by demographic, cultural and racial diversity, and in light of the government’s ambitious plans to achieve development and economic prosperity. Several initiatives and programs were launched aiming to foster the values of belonging and loyalty and promote the principles of responsibility, interaction and sharing. All that made it imperative to develop the population register and the Emirates identity’s advanced systems in order to support the federal e-government projects and the shift into a “smart government”.Ok

The positive impacts and the broad prospects offered by the Emirate Identity Authority in supporting the modernization and performance development witnessed by the country under the prudent higher leadership is very widely noticeable. Emirates ID is not only about the ID card that everyone uses as a proof of identity in any transaction; it is much more than that. It is a giant strategic project. Very few countries in the world adopt such a system that incorporates works of ministries and their most important entities and institutions such as ministries of Justice, Social Affairs, Education and many other environment authorities as well as the smart e-government. These ministries and entities are linked with e-bridges where individuals and groups find a paved and transparent road for them to complete most of the public and private transactions and easily query about the relative procedures and details. It only costs applicants a click on their computers or mobile phones or any other smart communication device.

This has impressed many international experts including Richards Kerby, the Inter-Regional Advisor on e-Government at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who commended the projects undertaken by Emirates ID to integrate the ID card applications within the daily life requirements in the country and support the applications of the smart government aimed at providing government services through smart phones and electronic channels. Kerby noted that the Authority’s experience is regarded as “one of the best government experiences worldwide due to its contribution in providing open data to government entities in the UAE making use of the digital identity project”.

The Emirates Identity Authority with its new strategic plan 2014-2016 and its prestigious global competitive position are a source of pride for the people and prudent leadership of the UAE.

22/07/2013

Day after day, the Emirates Identity Authority’s endeavor to build its sophisticated ID systems is making a remarkable progress on the road towards achieving the e-transformation sought by the UAE. Emirates ID’s efforts contribute to the UAE’s efforts to achieve the most advanced technological levels in this field. This has inspired the various government entities, centers and departments in the country to explore broader horizons in order to enhance this advancement towards materializing the UAE vision.

Since His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE announced 2008 as “the National Identity Year”, a flurry of official activities started by leaps and bounds, and are still going on, with the aim of exploring the best ways to preserve our national identity and reinforce its values in the UAE society which is characterized by demographic, cultural and racial diversity, and in light of the government’s ambitious plans to achieve development and economic prosperity. Several initiatives and programs were launched aiming to foster the values of belonging and loyalty and promote the principles of responsibility, interaction and sharing. All that made it imperative to develop the population register and the Emirates identity’s advanced systems in order to support the federal e-government projects and the shift into a “smart government”.Ok

The positive impacts and the broad prospects offered by the Emirate Identity Authority in supporting the modernization and performance development witnessed by the country under the prudent higher leadership is very widely noticeable. Emirates ID is not only about the ID card that everyone uses as a proof of identity in any transaction; it is much more than that. It is a giant strategic project. Very few countries in the world adopt such a system that incorporates works of ministries and their most important entities and institutions such as ministries of Justice, Social Affairs, Education and many other environment authorities as well as the smart e-government. These ministries and entities are linked with e-bridges where individuals and groups find a paved and transparent road for them to complete most of the public and private transactions and easily query about the relative procedures and details. It only costs applicants a click on their computers or mobile phones or any other smart communication device.

This has impressed many international experts including Richards Kerby, the Inter-Regional Advisor on e-Government at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who commended the projects undertaken by Emirates ID to integrate the ID card applications within the daily life requirements in the country and support the applications of the smart government aimed at providing government services through smart phones and electronic channels. Kerby noted that the Authority’s experience is regarded as “one of the best government experiences worldwide due to its contribution in providing open data to government entities in the UAE making use of the digital identity project”.

The Emirates Identity Authority with its new strategic plan 2014-2016 and its prestigious global competitive position are a source of pride for the people and prudent leadership of the UAE.

21/07/2013

It was by God’s will that we were born and brought up on this blessed land. God Almighty has blessed us with leaders who appreciate the value of this giving land as well as the people living on it. They ruled in justice; they loved us and we loved them.

The Emiratis have a special relationship with their leaders characterized by mutual everlasting love, brotherhood, parenthood, and Islamic and national values.. all under one united roof.

What I have said is not a kind of human fantasy or rosy dreams that will soon vanish; it is the reality that every Emirati lives and feels every day.

Moving from tents to compete with clouds? Is it possible? Yes, our country is prospering day after day making a modern boom on the international level. We say and we do. We work to build our future, and the future welcomes our words and deeds with a smile.

No wonder dear readers. Thanks to those loyal hands which loved their country and rulers thereby built faithfully, we are today reaping the fruits of our excellence and pursue for the first, and only first, rank.

Wondering how will this happen?

Have you heard about the elegant government services with 7 stars shining in one card? A transaction is completed in minutes with a smile that has always been for generations on the faces of the sons of Zayed.

May Allah bless those who have built this country and helped it flourish.

As we enjoy all these blessings, we should pray for our country and always ask Allah to “Keep this country safe and peaceful”.

 

02/07/2013

H.E. Dr. Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, emphasized that the verdicts announced today by the Federal Supreme Court against the members of the “secret organization” have strengthened our belief that Justice is the pillar of governance in the UAE. Those verdicts tell us that patience is the basis in treating those who unintentionally commit mistakes against the country and its symbols, values and principles. On the other hand, there is no compromise in applying the law against those who try to sabotage the structure whose foundations were laid by joint hard work of both the leaders and the people of our dear country who don’t spare any efforts in this respect.

Dr. Al Khouri said that the sentences announced against the members of the secret organization have proven how deeply the principles of justice, rights and equality in the UAE are rooted. They also reflected the keenness of the UAE leadership as well as its government, institutions and people to implement the law, achieve justice and maintain rights without being bias or unfair to people whoever they may be.

He commended the honesty of the Judiciary system in the UAE which is based on the provisions of Islam as stipulated in its constitution, highlighting the advanced and civilized levels of the legal procedures followed throughout the case. This has also proven that with Justice rights will be maintained, and that under the UAE prudent leadership presided by President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, May Allah protect him, justice is a right that is secured for everyone in the country.

Dr. Al Khouri added that in the UAE, Justice is a symbol, and the rule of law is a guideline and an approach to renaissance and development. This is being achieved through a set of advanced laws and legislations that ensured rights and defined duties on the grounds that the honest and independent jurisdiction is the most vital element in building up a country, and that justice is one of the foundations of construction, progress and superiority.

He expressed his hope that the verdicts announced today will be a lesson for those whose sights and insights were blocked by the devil to an extent that they couldn’t see the big difference between the bright present and future of the UAE compared to the awful conditions and dark horizon in the countries that are experiencing difficult times looking for a glimmer of hope to achieve the minimum basics of decent life that preserves human dignity.

Dr. Al Khouri added that those who have common sense should deeply analyze the sufferings of the people of what is called “Arab Spring” countries and compare those to the graces Allah Almighty blessed Emiratis with. Emiratis are blessed with security and peace, and a wise, generous and fair leadership whose utmost priority is to maintain a decent and happy life for its people, develop the best government services worldwide, provide the highest level of health, social, educational and humanitarian care, and many other countless good matters.

He emphasized that the UAE was, still is, and will remain a paradise, not only in the eyes of its people but in the eyes of other nations as well, whether before or after the Arab spring, before or after the global economic crisis. He stressed that such a prudent leadership following the footsteps of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May his soul rest in peace, deserves our gratitude and prayers to Allah to keep their nobleness, generosity and love in the hearts of Emiratis.

Dr. Al Khouri concluded that a good person will always ask himself about what he has done to his country before asking what his country has given him; because countries are being built and will prosper only by the loyal efforts of their people, noting that what the UAE has provided to Emiratis and residents is unique and has never been provided by any other country in the world.

13/06/2013

Realizing  that human beings are responsible before God for the things that have been done, as well as things that have not been done; one’s perception of some mathematical concepts will definitely change.

No doubt; reaching this belief and working based on it, will put human beings on a (new path) where “Collective Egoism” will take precedence over “Individual Egoism”, and hence will lead them to be more responsible concerning the social solidarity system which is considered a vital element in building individuals’ patriotism and instilling the concept of social responsibility deep in them.

Being honest to God in all deeds, automatically, leads individuals to excellence, because honesty means being conscientious and giving priority to the higher interest of the country over the personal interests.

Being faithful urges human beings to continuously look for means by which to give people their rights.

One can describe those “abstract people”; so to speak, as “Distinguished” people. However, they are, actually, (people who recognized the reality of their existence) and wanted to make a difference in their society.

We are sheer soldiers of this country.. and we will continue striving, like our ancestors, to give it what it deserves.

Nevertheless, I believe that every individual can make a difference in society by being faithful to God Almighty, and work on materializing the vision of our prudent leadership (God protect them).. This can happen through education, work, unleashing capacities, determination, giving priority to public interests, and serving people.

Life is interesting for those who work to facilitate people’s affairs! And I ask God to help us to do the same, and to be among those “Abstract Distinguished” people.

05/06/2013

In the name of Allah and Praise be to Allah, and Peace and Blessings be the Messenger of Allah.

Brothers and Sisters the employees of the Emirates Identity Authority

Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon all of you.

Two days ago, I was honored to accept the invitation from the honorable administration of the Higher Colleges of Technology to give a speech during the graduation ceremony of the excelling students for the year 2013, and to honor the distinguished graduates since the year 1991. I am also honored to have been graduated from this national scientific edifice among the graduates of 1998.

I thought that I should seize this opportunity of meeting this elite group of the nation’s youth to urge them into placing the contribution to the march of building our precious country and reinforcing its international competitiveness, at the top of their priorities and goals.

My message to the graduates revolved around working towards achieving a noble message, with giving back to the nation and its wise leadership forming the center of that message.

And working towards servicing a clear and ambitions national goal which is built on contribution to raising the name of the UAE and leaving a mark making this country among the best in the world.

And the keenness to reinforce authentic values, headed by perseverance, trust, continuous learning, accountability, innovation and creativity.

My message to the graduates included an invitation to identify clear personal goals and plans, and to have an established self-confidence, for that is a dept we have to pay back to the nation that provided us with so much and to our leadership that is rarely matched in this modern world, and because graduation is the beginning of the road and an opportunity to join the group that is working hard to upgrade the status of the nation, its reputation and leadership among the nations.

My message also included stressing that the nation awaits from its sons and daughters, and from the students and graduates in practical, to translate the knowledge they have gained during the learning years on the ground and in their practical lives, to contribute in the “Empowerment” phase lead by His Highness The President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to achieve the UAE Vision 2021…

The nation today expects from us more than it ever did, to be leaders in our determination, efforts, work, devotion, enthusiasm and integrity to achieve this noble duty.

My message to the graduates held a call not to stop gaining knowledge and science and not to stop the self development, for that is part of our responsibilities towards ourselves and towards our community… a call to be keen on continuing to learn, no matter how hard it was, as through learning, the human can raise and advance in life.

… and stressing on the fact that the excellence became a method in our country and one of its features, and the best phrase to refer to this fact is the what His Highness Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, Vice Chairman of Emirates Identity Authority, when he stressed that: “Excellence is not a luxury, it’s a national and moral duty”

Brothers and Sisters the employees of Emirates Identity Authority

I wanted to share my message with you, because it is the message of the Emirates Identity Authority to its employees.

As we are seekers of science… and pioneers of excellence…

And because the nation is waiting from us as officials, employees, graduates and students, to give back, and because advanced positions achieved by the UAE in the Global Competitiveness Indicator 2013, require us to double the effort and continue to improve performance in order to achieve the vision of our nation and the ambitions of our leadership, and to gain first places in the fields of competitiveness and leadership among nations.

Our Excellence … is our duty…

That is truly “An obligation and not a luxury”

19/05/2013

Many of government and private entities in different domains are not worried much about topics such as information security and cyber crime. This might be because of the fear workers and supervisors in this field feel when they think of hackers and those who might threaten, destroy or manipulate data and secrets inside their fortresses.

This fear seems logical in light of hundreds of incidents that happen every day around the world where hackers behind computer screen reach anywhere in the world. Authorities and entities in different domains remain in a race to face these challenges. It is a never ending battle as long as its field is the spacious cyberspace that is open to all human beings.

It is no doubt that cyber crimes have become a reality of undesirable repercussions from personal moral and social damage and its destruction of societal trust among people, to destabilization of security and stability up to the threat to economies of large enterprises or even countries and the effect of that on the global economy. There is a direct relation between development in the computer field and the increasing numbers of cyber crimes.

Cyber crimes vary between physical crimes such as stealing ATM machines to email messages asking for help in releasing money confiscated in foreign countries with a promise of a percentage from the amount, to messages telling the email account holders that they have won prizes and asking for their bank account details. Another type has a cultural side where the criminal steals the intellectual property rights and ascribes them to himself without the victim’s consent. These crimes are added to the political, economic and sexual crimes that spread extremism and looseness across the World Wide Web.

It is no doubt that the technological advancements in the UAE have affirmed the need to set laws to combat these crimes and safeguard against the manipulation of privacies or taking advantages of others’ physical or  intellectual  rights.

His Highness SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, issued a federal law regarding the combat of cyber crimes including many articles which offer legal protection for the privacy of what is published on the World Wide Web.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council, issued a decision regarding information security in Dubai Government aiming at developing an integrated strategy and a unified policy for information security and its systems related to the local government of the emirate.

One of the efforts that in the same direction is the international conferences hosted by the UAE, which gather key figures in cyber protection worldwide to exchange views and study ways to develop mechanisms that achieve top levels of information security, including the expected Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference that will be held in Dubai from 3 – 5 June 2013. It will be the largest event, in this regard, in the region.

However, we must highlight an important factor related to this kind of crimes that is self-awareness and raising one’s personal carefulness when using the Internet and other modern technologies. We all should have a degree of security culture that is enough to limit the access for those who want to reach secrets or important data that will harm their owners. In many cases, this only requires paying attention when adding sensitive information, using a more complicated password, using anti-virus programs and encrypting the most sensitive files. We should also refrain from making important financial transactions through public networks because they’re easy to hack. Extra precaution should be given when we reveal our electronic identities and personal information which should be used on trusted websites only.

16/05/2013

The UAE in particular and the Arab Gulf Region in general are two of the fastest markets in terms of adoption of modern technologies, considering that the sophisticated electronic infrastructure in the UAE is one of the most important tools for enhancing its economic competitiveness worldwide. This evolution reflects an official interest in adopting the latest information and communication technologies towards upgrading government performance in an unprecedented manner, achieving co-operation among government and private entities and providing pioneering government services and other products via the different means of communication such as  the Internet and mobile phone. Based on the prudent leadership’s awareness of the importance of the modern electronic technology, which is one of the most important features of change in the 21^stcentury, and the associated media information flows that will play a role in forming the public and private natures of the region, the UAE government started the electronic transformation of government services in 2001 by the Ministry of Finance launching the e-Dirham as an alternative to the conventional method used for collecting fees for government services. Since then, the e-transformation process is going at a rapid pace at the level of both the federal ministries and authorities and the local authorities in each emirate.

The above is compatible with the UAE Vision 2021 and the federal e-government plan 2012-2014, which is partly aimed at improving the competitiveness of the UAE by adopting world-class practices in all e-government areas, while its mission stipulates the establishment of an “innovative eGovernment, committed to contributing towards enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE, and providing world-class multi-channel services that are based on customer needs and expectations through a coherent and efficient government; taking advantage of an advanced digital infrastructure and highly qualified human resources within a smart and intelligent framework of governance.”

It is no exaggeration to say the UAE has made great strides in using technology in the field of government work and this has motivated it to seek technological and organizational readiness and secure an environment that supports the spread of information and communication technology such as the current laws and regulations and the provision of trained, qualified and skillful human resources as well as businesses that support the building of a knowledge-based economy.

Perhaps the success of the Emirates Identity Authority in completing the UAE population register at the beginning of this year, registering all citizens and residents in the smart ID card project and owning the world’s largest database of integrated civil biometrics as per the World Record Academy is the best testament to the level of progress that the UAE has achieved in this area, particularly that this achievement will contribute actively to enhancing the national and individual security in the UAE, supporting strategic decision-making and developing our government services at the same time.

In addition, such mega-projects help the community take part in improving government services and decision-makers to know customers, views and preferences.

The outputs of this government interest include preparing an integrated plan to carry out the “mobile government” project, which is aimed at providing all the services offered by the federal authorities and organizations to customers via the different kinds of smart phones and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year for provision in 2014 in the light of the leadership’s directives to adopt the best international practices in the field of e-transformation.

13/05/2013

No one can deny, in theory, the importance of language and its role in maintaining the identity of the community as well as its heritage and civilized and humanitarian history. Talking about our Arabic language, the practical application of this vision remains a far-reaching dream in many cases, especially at the level of decision-makers and leaders.

What His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that “Our language is our identity, a symbol of our pride, our civilization and Arab and Islamic culture” urges everyone to shoulder their historical responsibility from the national and humanitarian perspectives and illuminates their way towards the empowerment of the national language because “to empower and to protect the Arabic language means we are protecting our identity, our history and our culture”, as confirmed by HH Sheikh Mohammed.

This is not a call from an ordinary intellectual, nor is it a wish of anyone who is concerned with the culture of his nation and the language of his faith. It is an attitude and an instruction from the top leadership positions and decision-making centers, making it live up to the level of a national strategy that must be followed and implemented.

The call is concurrent with the second International Conference on Arabic Language, which was held in Dubai over the past few days under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, who was keen on attending some sessions of the conference.

Language is wealth and a weapon of high effect in the battle of progress and civilized evolution in which languages ​​and cultures compete in various ways to the extent of struggling sometimes. This made a leader as the former French President General de Gaulle says: “French language did what armies could not do.”

Competition among states and nations in this area is well-known and proven. Perhaps the most important successes achieved by the Israelis in implementing their Zionist projects lay in the fact that they paid special attention to Hebrew, though it had been an almost dead language for centuries and was spoken only by a few millions of Jews and not all Jews. They, however, worked hard to revive Hebrew and make it the language of learning and knowledge and the tongue of politics and practical life. The same applies to many other peoples such as the Japanese, Koreans and others, who look at their national languages as ​​fortunes that they are keen to protect more than any other wealth they own.

Based on this, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s kind call came to put the Arabic language in the right place it deserves. The call will undoubtedly bear fruit for the achievement of the desired goals and objectives.