Emirates ID app to help save Dh120m annually
The Emirates Identity Authority has called upon its customers across the country to use its smart app, which was launched recently for mobile phones and tablets. The new app allows several identity card-related services and transactions.
Ayesha Al Rayesi, executive director of Central Operations at Emirates ID, said the authority’s customers can use five innovative services through the app called ‘Emirates ID Smart Services’ which is available for Android-based mobile phones and tablets in the initial phase.
Emirates ID estimates that this smart app will help save customers 80 million minutes and more than Dh120 million per year, considering that Emirates ID receives around 4 million applications annually. Savings include the time required to reach service centres, waiting to fill in the application, typing fees and indirect costs for transportation, parking and photocopying, beside the authority’s operational costs.
Al Rayesi said launch of this batch of services is in line with Emirates ID’s quest to provide its services and transactions through mobile phones and devices as part of the UAE’s mGovernment initiative. The aim is to ensure ease of access to the services anywhere and at anytime through simple and streamlined steps that help save cost, time and efforts for customers.
She added that the second phase of the project will be launched during the first quarter of 2014 and will include a new innovative and creative services available on all mobile phone platforms. This is based on Emirates ID’s keenness to meet its customers expectations and contribute to the UAE’s pioneering and competitiveness in launching and adopting the world’s most sophisticated mGovernment.
Al Rayesi underlined that newly introduced smart services batch allows Emiratis and other GCC citizens to renew their ID cards in a pilot phase, while other services in the batch are available for all residents in the UAE. These include tracking progress of application, personalising user profile, sending suggestions and complaints, receiving notifications and geo-location service, which allows customers to locate Emirates ID’s services centres and approved typing offices. She pointed out that launch of this batch of apps will help customers overcome several challenges by providing them with services round the clock via additional easy-to-access mobile channels. It will also reduce the steps required to complete a service to less than half, which should remarkably save customers’ time and efforts, reduce the authority’s operational costs and increase its service capacity round the clock.
Al Rayesi said that Emiratis and GCC citizens can now renew their Emirates ID card through their mobile phones in two simple steps that will take less than two minutes and can be done anytime and anywhere through an integrated scenario based on ‘Push & Pay’ feature. This service will be available for expatriates in the first quarter of 2014.
The user profile personalisation service, which is included in this batch of smart services, will allow reading the ID card data and verification of customer’s identity through NFC technology, thereby eliminating the need for e-readers. On the other hand, the application status tracking service will enable customers to check the progress of their transactions through their mobile phones at any time.
Meanwhile, the notifications and Geo-location service will allow customers to easily locate Emirates ID’s nearest sites and approved typing centres as well as displaying the key provided services and notifications related to the ID card validity within a unified and integrated panel.
