ID card applicants pan out to typing centres

Crowds were thin at the official registration centres in the Capital on Tuesday, while in the other emirates, a sharp increase was witnessed in the number of visitors at the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) centres.

The main EIDA centre in Mussafah in the Capital wore a deserted look with only around 50 people submitting and processing their documents for the card. Normally, the centre is seen crowded with hundreds of people.

While the EIDA centres were not crowded with people, applicants lined up at scores of typing centres in the Capital to complete the initial stage of registration before the deadline.

A source at EIDA also confirmed the number of applicants at official centres is thinner and there was no panic among people to meet the deadline. However, he was confident most of the people will be able to get their application forms done at over 700 authorised typing centres by December 31.

The authority has advised residents to get their papers done at these typing centres before the deadline and then later submit them at the EIDA centres. People can get their applications filled and relevant documents scanned at the authorised typing centres, which are also given the charge to receive the fees. After completing this initial step, an applicant can visit the EIDA centre for the final procedure.

“I have just got my application for the renewal of my card done here. Tomorrow, I’m going to Mussafah to submit the papers. Now it is much easier. We can go to any typing centre to fill up the forms and pay the fees. It is saving time,” said Haji Shah Mohammed, a Pakistani worker.

Raza Ahmed, an Iranian trader, was at the centre applying for a fresh card. “Earlier I had been to the main registration centre many times, but had to return without submitting my papers because of huge rush. Now with the authorisation of these private typing centres, it is much easier. My request to the authority is to open up more official centres in the city for the final processing of documents because it is difficult to travel to Mussafah,” he said.

With the deadline approaching, expatriates who are back home on leave have also been inquiring about the registration by visiting EIDA website.

As many as 128,072 people from 105 countries visited EIDA’s website between November 12 and December 12.

According to EIDA, the countries from which the site received hits include the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, France, India and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, in Dubai and Northern Emirates, EIDA centres witnessed considerable rush on Tuesday. The officials at the EIDA centre in RAK said that the centre had been receiving a lot of people of different nationalities during this week, unlike the previous weeks.

Although no official number has been revealed, the officials said the majority of the people they received were workers from various companies across Ras Al Khaimah and from other emirates and the authorities have been working round the clock to ensure that all of them could be registered.

news@khaleejtimes.com

 

• UAE