Fast-track ID registration aims to avoid long queues

Abu Dhabi: Residents are invited to fast-track their ID card applications by making an appointment to register for the compulsory cards, a senior member of the government said.

The government is trialling an appointment-only registration system involving the city's typing centres in a bid to minimise the time it takes to register for the cards.

Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) higher management committee vice-chairman Dr Ali Al Khoury said: "We have transferred the pre-registration process to some typing centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai which in turn has reduced the time taken for the registration from 30 minutes to less than 10 minutes [per applicant]."

Inspired by the positive results so far, the authority was extending the trial by certifying more typing centres to handle pre-registration process, he said.

"We have certified 20 typing centres in Abu Dhabi emirate and we are in the process of certifying more; so that you can expect more typing centres to handle [the pre-registration process] by day," Al Khoury said.

Typing centres in Dubai which were taking part in the pre-registration trial were those in the Emirates Identity Authority's Al Barsha centre and the Hyatt Regency.

At the Al Barsha centre, four out of 10 counters were working on the trial system, Al Khoury said. When all the counters were taking part, the registration capacity [at Al Barsha] would go up from 480 to 900 per day, he said.

Once the new system is implemented all over the country, the centres' registration capacity would rise from 7000 to 20,000 a day, Al Khoury said.

Under the trial ID card system, applicants would be served by appointment only.

When the application is submitted, the typing centre makes appointments for registration at the Eida centre. An applicant's family member or friend can register on their behalf.

Numbers

• 20 typing centres doing PRP in Abu Dhabi
• 30 minutes taken for registration in old method (per applicant).
• 10 minutes in new system
• 7,000 registrations a day -current capacity all over UAE
• 20,000 registrations a day-expected capacity with new system