The UAE's Emirates ID might be changing soon – here's how
That little Emirates ID card you carry around in your wallet? It might be on its way out – or at least, headed for a serious digital upgrade.
Known for being one step above the rest, the UAE has futuristic plans to phase out the need to physically present your Emirates ID when accessing key services.
Instead, biometric tech like facial recognition and digital verification through your phone will do all the work.
The new system – spearheaded by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) – is expected to roll out within the next year. And it could be a game-changer for everything from hospital visits to hotel check-ins.
The new e-Emirates ID system
Currently, despite all the tech advances in the UAE, you still need to flash your original Emirates ID card to do quite a few things – like open a bank account, check into a hotel, or access healthcare. But not for long.
Enter: the upgraded e-Emirates ID system.
How will it work?
The ICP is expanding the use of digital Emirates IDs via the UAEPASS app – a government-backed platform that already allows users to request digital versions of official documents. The next step? Making facial recognition and biometric authentication the norm.
Instead of handing over a card, you'll soon be able to verify your identity just by looking at a screen. The plan is to integrate this across a wide range of sectors – think banking, healthcare, telecoms and hospitality.
You might also like: You won't believe what your Emirates ID chip knows about you
Wait, haven't we seen this before?
Sort of. The UAE introduced facial recognition services through the UAEPASS app back in 2021, during GITEX. Since then, the tech has slowly been rolled out across select services. But now, the ICP wants to take things further, encouraging partners across industries to adopt the new system and make it universal.
Minister of State for FNC Affairs, Abdul Rahman Al Owais, confirmed that e-Emirates IDs are already in use for several services. The focus now is on speeding up adoption, ironing out challenges and expanding digital identity use across all key sectors.
What about privacy?
Naturally, when biometric data is involved, people want to know how their information is being protected. The ICP says it's following strict laws and data protection standards to ensure trust and security for all users.
So while you may be trading your card for a camera scan, your personal data should still be safe and sound.
This could be the beginning of the end for physical Emirates IDs – at least when it comes to using them for everyday services. The transition won't happen overnight, but it's well underway.
So, if you haven't downloaded the UAEPASS app yet, now might be a good time.
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