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29 March 2024

EIDA links registration of employees of free zone companies with deadlines

(FILE)

Published
By Wam

The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has decided to link the registration and renewal of ID card for the employees of private companies operating within the free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with the decision related to the registration deadlines announced for both emirates, which expires on April 1, 2012, for Abu Dhabi residents and June 1, 2012, for Dubai residents.

This exception came in response to the demands of a broad section of free zone employees and a large number of private sector companies operating in these free zones. While it is aimed at easing the procedures for employees, the decision takes into account the conditions of the large companies which employ thousands of workers after it was decided to impose the delay penalties on this section from December 1, 2011 due to the fact that free zones are classified as semi-government entities.

As far as the employees of free zone departments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are concerned, the Emirates Identity Authority clarified that the deadline given to this section expired in the beginning of last December due to the fact that they are semi-government employees, adding that delay penalties started to be imposed on those who had not actually registered, effective from January 1, 2012.

The Emirates Identity Authority added that these decision came as part of its keenness on providing the most prestigious services to public and facilitating their registration procedures. The decisions emphasised that priority would be to complete the population register system and the ID card project, contribute to enhancing the national and individual security, support decision-makers and provide innovated electronic services that would support eGovernment and UAE Vision 2021, the Emirates Identity Authority said.

Earlier, the Emirates Identity Authority excluded those with residences that would expire by December 31, 2012 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from the decision related to the ID card registration deadlines as announced for each emirate, provided that this category should be registered by the time of renewal of their residences.

It is noteworthy that last January the Emirates Identity Authority announced that it would grant the holders of expired ID cards a grace period to renew their cards up to April 1, 2012 for Abu Dhabi residents and June 1, 2012 for Dubai residents after it had been decided to impose delay penalties on the holders of these cards from November 1, 2011.

As for UAE nationals and residents below 15 years, the Emirates Identity Authority underlined the necessity for this category to be registered all over the UAE by October 1, 2012.

The Emirates Identity Authority called on the residents in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to register in the ID card and renew their expired cards as soon as possible and not to wait until the last minute of the set deadlines, noting that filling out the registration form at the typing centers or through its website would help the person concerned avoid the resolved delay penalties, provided that they abide by the date specified for completing the registration procedures (fingerprinting and photographing) at an Emirates Identity Authority-affiliated service point.

The Emirates Identity Authority affirmed that these decisions are not inconsistent with its strategic plan 2010-2013, which stipulates that the registration of all UAE population would be completed before the end of 2013.
It pointed out that linking the residence issuance procedures with registration in the ID card is in place in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah where registration of the ID card has become a condition for the issuance or renewal of residence. As for Dubai, work is underway to activate the linkage of the ID card with residence, effective from early April, the Emirates Identity Authority said.

The Emirates Identity Authority noted that adoption of the ID card as a condition for benefiting from the services of the UAE public and private sectors is on the increase.