UAE Cabinet approves the Electronic Family Book Launching

UAE Cabinet adopts a Decree to launch an electronic family book to be used as an authenticated document in all transactions with government, semi-government and private entities in addition to ICA smart application.

This Decree comes in line with the government vision aiming at making UAE one of the best countries in the world, its orientations in the field of e-transformation and its efforts to decrease the service centers visitors to 80% by 2021. The Decree further establishes a new phase for developing services by using modern techniques and, at the same time, promoting ID card’s role as a tool including all nationals and residents related information.

The Decree shall be effective as on 1 July 2019. An executive plan for coordination with federal and local governments and an illustration of the mechanism for reviewing the electronic Family book data, will precede the Decree effectiveness.

By applying this mechanism, the electronic family book will be stored on the ID smart chip, which will in turn enable customers to use it easily at the official entities, when necessary. This will contribute to reducing costs and paper works, promoting safety and limiting fraud and manipulation.

H.E. Ali Mohamed bin Hammad Al Shamsi, the Chairman of Board of Directors of ICA, confirmed that the UAE Cabinet Decree, adopting electronic family book represents a significant step towards developing government services by using modern techniques and technology in the government transactions. This facilitates procedures for nationals and residents and minimize the transaction steps. Thus, transactions can be completed during the shortest period possible and in conformity with the government trend towards providing services anywhere, anytime with the least costs.

Al Shamsi further highlighted the positive points of the Decree including reduced costs, minimal procedures and reduced customers’ visits to the service center, along with storing and linking the required information to the ID. This in turn helps store all the information in one place to be used for many purposes, maintain the safety and confidentiality of information and prevents manipulation, abuse and fraud.

He added that ICA will promptly initiate the implementation procedures, in cooperation with the competent government and local entities, to make the service effective from the first of the next July. For this purpose, workshops will be organized to explain for these entities the implementation mechanisms and accelerating the implementation work.

On his part, Brigadier Suhail Juma Al Khaili, ICA’s Acting Director General, highlighted that the UAE Cabinet Decree, adopting the electronic family book, will contribute to upgrading the services provided to the nationals to reach the best levels by transforming them into smart services. This will enable customers to complete the transaction electronically without the need to visit ICA’s service centers.

He stated that ICA developed an integrated plan, in cooperation with the relevant strategic partners, for smart transformation of family book according to the best standards in the field of information security and confidentiality and privacy of data. He illustrated that ICA will provide related data to the government ministries, entities, and institutions electronically by uploading a copy thereof on the ID card’s smart chip.

He added that the transformation implementation plan includes finalizing the electronic linking with the relevant government entities, allowing data provision and sharing through an e-system. This system will effectively contribute to achieving integration between ICA and the different government institutions in the area of service provision and standardizing related policies and procedures. It will also provide the methods to data verification through its systems in a secured, reliable and coherent manner.

Al Khaili also noted that the e-transformation of the family book will decrease the number of issuances of amendment procedures. Accordingly, it will shorten customers’ journey, save their time and effort, and achieves their happiness and satisfaction. It will also increase the productivity of ICA’s employees and create a favorable environment for innovation and creativity in service provision.

He further indicated that ICA has implemented a program through which it communicated with the relevant strategic partners and informed them of the implementation steps and mechanisms. It also explained the role to be performed by each partner to achieve the best results, and the procedures to be adopted in the field of system integration, and how to adapt them for successful electronic linking and to enable each entity to make best use of the “Electronic Family Book” program.

Besides, Al Khaili emphasized that ICA will make a comprehensive assessment based on the feedback of the operating environment and the comments of the strategic partners and customers. It will also take the necessary procedures to ensure achieving the planned objectives and to contribute to developing and promoting the government services to achieve the aspirations of our wise leadership