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29 March 2024

Eida, TRA deal moves Emirates ID closer to being your virtual passport to life in UAE

Published
By WAM

The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) have signed a strategic partnership agreement aimed at strengthening efforts to implement the e government strategy at the federal level by raising the readiness of government entities’ infrastructure to provide e-services to customers for the ultimate goal of disseminating the digital society culture in the UAE.

The agreement covers four new areas that will make the ID card the key and comprehensive document for residents of the UAE.

According to one of the initiatives, the TRA will grant the Emirates ID a ‘Certificate Service Provider’ licence initially and a ‘Root Certificate Authority’ license subsequently, enabling it to be a certified reference for all digital certificates to be issued in future by certificate service providers in the UAE.

The agreement, concluded at the Emirates ID headquarters in Abu Dhabi today, was signed on behalf of Dr. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Emirates ID Director General, by Aisha Al Raisi, Director of Central Operations Sector, and on behalf of Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General, by Saeed Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director General for Support Services Sector.

The first initiative stipulates that the use of the ID card will be activated for citizens and residents and that the ID card will be adopted as a major and permanent source of data of beneficiaries of the e-services provided by the UAE eGovernment and its associated entities by optimising the data of the Emirates ID’s population register system in integration with the infrastructure available at the TRA.

The second initiative is embodied in the co-operation of the two sides to allow for technological means to activate ID card-related e-services across the UAE through the various channels that provide government e-services, either through websites or through self-service kiosks.

According to the third initiative, the TRA will be enabled to update the data of its customers depending on the integrated and secure electronic infrastructure of the Emirates ID’s population register database.

Dr Al Khouri said: "Signing the strategic partnership agreement with the TRA stems from the keenness of the two sides on increasing their co-ordination to make a quantum leap in e-government projects by optimising the smart ID card applications.

This is aimed at achieving the aspirations of the UAE leadership under President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and is in line with the vision of the federal government led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai."

He stressed the importance of the advanced ID systems for the evolution of governments seeking access to the knowledge society in our time, underlining the pivotal role of these systems in supporting e-government projects and developing the business of public and private organisations at the global level.

Dr Al Khouri believed that signing this agreement came as part of the concerted efforts of the government entities to rapidly unify their shared visions aimed at serving the higher interest of the UAE.

This is achieved through developing the required tools and means to achieve fruitful results in line with the federal e-government’s plan, which is aimed at optimally upgrading its performance by providing leading world-class services of added value and crystallising an advanced society that rests on a knowledge-based economy and reflects the quality of life in the UAE for the ultimate goal of achieving the UAE Vision 2021.

"Government departments need to work together in delivering more public services built around the needs of the citizen," said Saeed Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director General of the TRA for Support Services Sector.

"The provision of e-government services is one of the key drivers to ensure this happens and the MOU signed today in Abu Dhabi represents a significant step in the right direction.

“Any efforts to raise awareness, update customers of progress and implement the wider e-government strategy at a federal level, certainly receives the full backing of the TRA.

“With this in mind, it is with great pleasure that we as regulators have a role to play in this strategic partnership and this MOU represents yet another government initiative to improve its offerings to the public in the UAE," he added.

Under the agreement, the Emirates ID shall be committed to provide the required systems and electronic infrastructure for the applications of digital ID card program and the unified ID management with the aim of facilitating the process of verifying the identity of customers and ensuring the credibility of the ID card in a highly accurate and efficient manner.

The Emirates ID shall also be committed to continue to raise public awareness of the key elements of the ID card including the importance of the card's PIN number and its vital role in maximising the benefits of government e-services.

On the other hand, the TRA shall be committed to introduce the applications necessary for integration between its infrastructure and the digital ID applications for the purposes of verifying the identity of the beneficiaries of e-government services and the credibility of the ID card. This is aimed at ensuring the highest level of protection and security for online transactions and consequently reducing identity thefts and relying on the ID card number as a major reference for the provision of e- services.

On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, the two sides reviewed their strategic plans and the most outstanding projects and initiatives emanating from them in the presence of a number of officials from the two authorities.

Commemorative shield were also exchanged during the ceremony.

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