Emirates Identity Authority’s delegation visits Gemalto factory in France

A delegation from the Emirates Identity Authority has paid a visit to Gemalto factory in France to conduct the final tests of the new devices for issuing ID cards before being shipped to the Emirates Identity Authority.

Buying the new ID card issuing devices is a supporting and complementary project to that of registering for ID cards via the preventive medicine centers. By buying the new devices, the Emirates Identity Authority aims at raising the daily issuance rate of ID cards to 22,000 cards.

The Emirates Identity Authority is keen on employing the latest technologies available in the field of issuance of ID cards to ensure the highest quality standards and fast printing, programming and wrapping of ID cards.

The ID card issuance cycle passes through three major stages in the existing devices, i.e. ID programming and printing, manual test of printing quality and ID card wrapping using a separate ID wrapping machine.

Unlike the existing devices, the new devices will pass through all the three production stages in one production cycle on the same production line. The ID card issuance cycle will take one day only instead of three days through linking the card programming and printing device to the wrapping machine, enabling the device and the machine to become one integrated production unit.

The new devices were also provided with an advanced system for monitoring the printing quality of data and photos automatically and instantly on the production line as soon as the ID card is printed.

It is worthwhile that the Emirates Identity Authority conducted intensive studies in 2010 and made several overseas visits to keep abreast of the latest technologies available in the field of issuance of ID cards. These efforts are part of the Emirates Identity Authority’s strategy based on continuous modernization and development of its administrative and technological systems.

The Emirates Identity Authority was represented in this visit by Mr. Shukri Al Buraiki, Creativity and Development Director, and Mr. Khalid Al Junaibi, Card Production Supervisor.