Passport and family book

09/05/2013

If I am to list the strategic projects that have been recently implemented in the UAE based on their importance, I will undoubtedly choose the national ID card as one of these projects because of the long-term plans for this project and the great benefit that will be reaped by everybody, whether UAE residents or government and private companies and agencies.

Finally and thanks to a data chip that contains all the important information about you, you will no longer have to feel extreme stress while you are visiting the municipality and carrying your family book for fear that this important document might be lost. Nor will you have to make sure that the document called “passport” is still valid in case of need to visit a bank to open a savings account for your son, for instance. It is a huge and significant project that allows me to be keen on carrying a single card in my wallet, because it will save me the trouble of carrying and keeping the rest of important documents. It is also a tool in the hands of the e-government to develop the work system and provide a better and easier service to the customers of some entities which is still managed with the mentality of the 1970s.

Yet, it is surprising that although five years have elapsed since this significant project was implemented, the ultimate goal of the project has not been achieved so far. More surprisingly, some government entities and affiliated companies are the last to support this vital project and seem as if they insist on signing out of tune for a mysterious reason that I do not know, while supporting and actually implementing this project should top their priorities for the simple reason of ensuring that the private sector will be committed to implement the project later on. We know of course that the private sector will not do this if this project has not been actually implemented by the government sector at both the federal and local levels.

I still carry my family book in all my visits to the municipality and still need my passport to renew my Thiqa health insurance card and obtain electricity services. I even need both my passport and ID card to get a resident parking permit in Abu Dhabi City! What is the logic behind all this? For how long will some entities keep away from playing their presumable role in supporting the UAE strategic projects?