1.736 million ID card issuance applications in first quarter

The Emirates Identity Authority unveiled that it received around 1.736 million ID card issuance (new and renewal) applications in the first quarter of this year, up by 172 per cent over the total applications received in the first quarter of 2011 which totaled around 637, 200 transactions.

The Emirates Identity Authority pointed out that receiving this large number of applications reflected the growing response to registration in the population register and ID card system, whether through the typing centers across the UAE or by filling out the ID registration form through the Emirates Identity Authority’s website.

The rise in the ID card registration applications reflects on the total number of registrants in the population register and ID card system, which stood at around 6.4 million.

The Emirates Identity Authority clarified that the growing number of registration applications coincided with the expiry of the deadline given to the residents of Abu Dhabi, which started applying the delay fees as from April 1, while the registration deadline given to Dubai residents would expire on June 1.

The Emirates Identity Authority praised the role of government and semi-government entities, which gave their instructions to adopt the ID card as a main document for benefiting from their services. These instructions played a key role in raising the number of registrants and in issuing and renewing more ID cards.