Etisalat partners with EIDA to provide Emirates ID card services

Abu Dhabi - Etisalat today announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) to study the possibility of using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to develop programs that would enable Emirates ID card data to be identified and transferred using NFC-enabled mobile phones.

The signing of this memorandum supports efforts by both parties to assess the feasibility of providing such services to nationals and expatriates in the UAE. As per the terms of the agreement, the NFC services for ID card will be implemented as a pilot project for the first few months and subsequently launched on a commercial basis in the country.

Speaking on the MoU, Engineer Nasser Al Mazroui, Executive Director, Communications and Information Systems, Emirates Identity Authority, said: ‘NFC can assist in providing creative, convenient and safe services for customers, while presenting new opportunities for data integration and communication. Our partnership with Etisalat continues our efforts to provide the most modern communication infrastructure for Emirates ID cardholders, who can benefit from the connectivity and compatibility of their smart cards.’

Al Mazroui highlighted that EIDA remains committed to launch several creative services following completion of the residents’ registration stage in a way that supports the e-governance initiative of the UAE and its transformation to a ‘digital economy.’

The Near Field Communication technology concept is applied on any two devices separated by a short distance, where a smart card is used and short-range radio frequencies technique is applied to connect them.