40,000 people a day register for ID cards at typing centres

Abu Dhabi/Dubai, Dec 22,2010: Certified typing centres across the country processed 40,000 ID card pre-registration applications per day during the past week, a top official told Gulf News.

EIDA transferred the pre-registration process including filling out the application forms, scanning the identification documents and payment of fees to the typing centres three months ago as part of a new strategy to ease the registration process.

An applicant goes to an EIDA registration centre only after completing the pre-registration process at a typing centre. "Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) registration centres across the country recorded 11,000 registrations daily during the past one week," said Dr. Ali Al Khoury, Director General of Eida.

Thousands of applicants thronged the 700 typing centres across the country since Eida announced that a federal law stipulating December 31 as the deadline for expatriates to register for ID cards, as Gulf News reported on December 14.

Al Khoury said the Eida centres used to register on an average 8,000 applicants since the implementation of the new strategy which eased the process around three months ago.

On busy days it had exceeded 9,000 mark but 11,000 is a record, he said.

Meanwhile, typing centres in all the emirates said that they were falling short of infrastructure and resources to handle the unprecedented rush.

GCC Citizens: Fees discussed

The Board of the Emirates Identity Authority discussed during Tuesday's meeting chaired by Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan a proposal to equal fees for registering GCC citizens in the population and identity card register with the registration fees of UAE nationals.

During the meeting that was held at Abu Dhabi Police Department's Head Quarters on Monday, Shaikh Saif reiterated the keenness of the UAE's supreme leadership on enhancing and stepping up services to the highest levels to achieve the required aspirations.

Shaikh Saif also decorated Darwish Ahmad Al Zarouni with the community service medal for his efforts in the Identity System programme which had a good impact on community service.

-WAM