32nd GCC Summit adopts ID card as official document in GCC countries

At the end of the 32nd session of the GCC Supreme Council in Riyadh yesterday, the GCC leaders announced the adoption of the electronic ID card as a proof of identity for GCC citizens in both the public and private sectors of all the member countries.

In their final statement, the GCC leaders decided that the concerned entities in the member countries issue the legislation and decisions pertaining to this issue in the light of the relevant reports and recommendations submitted by the ministerial council, ministerial committees and the general secretariat.

The GCC Supreme Council expressed utmost appreciation and gratitude for the huge, sincere and honest efforts exerted by UAE’s President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may Allah protect him, and his wise government throughout his presidency of the 31^stGCC session. The council also lauded Sheikh Khalifa’s keenness on following up the implementation of GCC Supreme Council resolutions and commended the significant steps and achievements made.

The UAE delegation to the 32^nd GCC Supreme Council in Riyadh was led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may Allah save him, and included among others His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Deputy Chairman of the Emirates Identity Authority.

The steering committee of the smart card in the GCC countries held its 7^th meeting in Abu Dhabi on May 8-9, 2011 during which it praised the wise decision issued by the UAE prudent leadership with respect to unifying the ID card registration fees for all GCC citizens.

During its meetings held under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Emirates ID Director General and head of the UAE delegation, and attended by delegations representing all the member countries and the general secretariat, the committee affirmed that this step reflects the UAE prudent leadership’s keenness on promoting and supporting the process of GCC joint action through the wise decisions and initiatives that serve the interest of all GCC countries and citizens.

The committee recommended at the time that the project of adopting the smart ID card as a proof of identity for the GCC citizens in the member countries be submitted to the GCC Ministerial Council in view of the importance of this issue for easing GCC citizens’ transactions in the GCC countries.

This followed the recommendations made during the committee’s 5^th meeting which called on the entities concerned in the member countries to issue such legislation and decisions that are binding on the public and private sectors for adopting the personal ID card as a proof of identity for GCC citizens.

The committee decided at the time to form a technical team to follow up the implementation by the GCC countries of the agreed on unified electronic program for reading smart ID cards in their border crossing points. It called on all GCC countries, which had not yet applied the agreed on technical procedures to do so as soon as possible, provided that the Kingdom of Bahrain would co-ordinate and follow up with these countries to handle the obstacles that might block the implementation of these procedures.