The Emirates Identity Authority has announced the success of its actual experiment of using the UAE smart ID card through the unified system of GCC eGates, which was tested in Bahrain by the end of last week before being circulated to all GCC countries in the upcoming period.
A UAE official delegation comprising representatives of the Emirates Identity Authority and Ministry of Interior visited Bahrain on December 26 and 27 to participate in an actual experiment for using GCC smart ID cards through eGates at Bahrain International Airport.
The UAE delegation also participated in a test for the unified ID card reader software of GCC smart ID cards and in an actual experiment for registering GCC citizens interested in using eGates at GCC airports.
This was based on the recommendations of the 7th meeting of the GCC Smart CardsSteering Committee, which was held in Abu Dhabi in May 2011, for forming a technical team from GCC representatives to track the implementation of the smart ID card reader software at GCC border crossing points and eGates.
The GCC delegations participating in the tests that were done successfully at Bahrain International Airport by the end of last week agreed that Bahrain would extend an invitation to Oman specialists to complete the unified reader software required for the use of eGates.
The delegations also agreed that Bahrain would provide the GCC General Secretariat with the unified reader software and other software required as soon as the experiment with Oman has been successfully completed so as to be circulated to the member countries.
The delegations confirmed the possibility for the citizens of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain to start using the eGates in their airports after receiving the unified reader software from Bahrain based on the readiness of each country.
The participants in these actual experiments, which were all done successfully, proposed that the possibility for GCC citizens to create a single registration for the use of eGates should be considered to allow the exchange of information among the member countries without the need to register in each country, provided that this item should be added to the agenda of the smart card steering committee.
The participating delegation also proposed that the unification of the eGate usage fees among GCC citizens should be considered, provided that this item should be added to the next agenda of the smart card steering committee. In addition, they proposed that the use of contactless smart card reader software in eGates should be considered in a bid to avoid the problems that might take place when using contact cards including the possibility for the card to be forgotten in the automatic reader and for the electronic chip and reading machines to be damaged because of misuse or repeated use.
The eGate project is aimed at facilitating the completion of travel procedures and shortening them into a few minutes. It is also aimed at saving the time and effort of passengers by virtue of using the smart ID card for passing through these eGates, not to mention its role in easing the pressure on passport control staff at airports.
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