Sponsors set to pay for employees' ID cards

Employers in the UAE will have to pay fees for the issuance of national identity cards for their employees when the ID is linked to residence in the country, according to the Emirates Identity Authority (EIA).

The national ID, an ambitious project launched by the UAE to ensure comprehensive data for its people, is expected to be linked to government services from April, two months ahead of the deadline for registration.

“The fees for the issuance of the ID card will automatically become the responsibility of the sponsor once it is linked to residence and after the enforcement of the unified application form,” EIA director general Ali Alkhouri told the semi official Arabic language daily Alittihah.

He said some major private sector firms in the UAE, including Al-Jaber Group, had already agreed to pay ID fees for their employees.

“As from April, government services to the public will be linked to registration and obtaining the ID card…during that period, we will work to link the ID electronically with six government establishments including the ministries of interior, labour, education, health, justice and higher education,” Khouri said.

Speaking at a seminar organized by Alittihad, Khouri urged citizens from the other members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to obtain the national ID card, warning that any delay could block their interests in the UAE.

He revealed plans to re-design ID registration centres with the aim of expanding their handling capacity to ensure all people in the UAE are registered on time.

He said the project would be completed within the first half of 2011, adding that the capacity of some centres would be more than doubled.

“For example, the registration lines at Barsha centre in Dubai will be increased from six to 25 in February,” he said.

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