Emirates ID calls customers to use its smart mobile app

The Emirates Identity Authority has called upon its customers across the country to use its “smart” apps recently launched for mobile phones and tablets. The newapps allow several ID-card-related services and transactions.

Ayesha Al Rayesi, Executive Director of Central Operations at Emirates ID, clarified that the Authority’s customers can use the five innovative services through an app called ‘Emirates ID Smart Services’ which is available for Android-based mobile phones and tablets as an initial phase.

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 through all types of mobile phones and tablets. 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 as a pilot phase, while other services in the batch are available for all residents in the UAE. Those include tracking progress of application, personalizing user profile, sending suggestions and complaints, receiving notifications and geo-location service which allows customers to locate Emirates ID’s services centers and approved typing offices.

She pointed out that launch of this batch of apps will help customers overcome several challenges through providing them with services round the clock via additional easy-to-access mobile channels that will save them the need to visit service centres, typing offices or the Authority’s website. 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 indicated 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 personalization 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.

According to Al Rayesi, Emirates ID estimates that this smart app will help save customers 80 million minutes and more than AED 120 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 transport, parking and photocopying, asides from the authority’s operational cost.