Expats caught between losing their passports and not meeting EIDA deadline
Emirates ID Card is one project that proves the efficiency of the authorities running the UAE. It also shows how much they are empathetic towards the expatriate population, who provides the blood and bone to the UAE economy.
Since the Emirates ID Card project was launched, it went from one set back to other. Apparently the teething problems are not over yet and although expats are alleged to be complacent, the authorities, namely EIDA, the Emirates Identity Authority, are to blame.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EDIA, Emirates ID Card
RTA to launch Nol cards for shopping and public transport fare payment
RTA loves to go plastic. After launching variety of cards to be used for buses and Metro, now it plans to launch a Nol card that can be used for credit/debit purchases as well as to pay the fare for various modes of public transport.
Currently, the RTA offers four types of Nol Cards for the Metro, including the Nol Silver Card for economy class, Nol Red Card (good for single journeys), Nol Gold Card for travel in the gold class (VIP) compartment of the Metro and Nol Blue Card, a personalized card with photo.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: Dubai Metro, Emirates ID Card, Nol Card, RTA
Emirates ID Card Deadline Gets Another Shuffle
The deadline for Emirates ID Card is becoming a matter of joke now. The EIDA has came a long way from its initial stance of issuing threats to expats and locals unable to registerd of the card by December 31, 2008. However, the deadline kept changing and extensions were provided due to number of reasons including issues with EIDA registration systems, incompetency of EIDA staff to handle load and inability of EIDA to motivate locals and expats both to get registered on time.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card
EIDA revamping Emirates ID Card System
After the rigorous experimentation with ID Card process, on the expense of expats’ sufferings, the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) is revamping the appointment and process of Emirates ID Card system.
The revamp will open a year-long calendar (for appointments), increase the number of centres handling applicants and allocate more capacity for registration for appointments. The applicants will also be able to track the status of their applications online.
More centres will handle the appointment system instead of about ten centres (out of a total 28) at present and more than 50 per cent of the registration capacity will be allocated to handling appointments, he said.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card, Empost
Emirates ID Card deadline for Locals extended by 3 months
After tall claims and stern warnings, EIDA’s fall short in achieving the impossible. UAE government has extended deadline for Emirates ID Card registration for nationals by 3 months.
A UAE Interior Ministry statement said:
Citizens who were unable to register “for identity card will have sufficient time to register before fines can be imposed”,
The decision was issued by the Cabinet on the instructions of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card
EIDA accuses Expatriates of being Complacent
Well, anybody who have applied for the Emirates ID Card, in past two months, is well aware of the inefficiency of the process. From a website that stucks most of the time, to staff that is unable to manage pressure, EIDA has failed to meet its own defined deadlines.
First EIDA set unrealistic deadlines for the expatriates to get registered for Emirates ID Cards. Then, they applied pressure tactics by announcement of fines and barring services like bank transactions etc. When the panicked expats started to rush EIDA registration centers, the system collapsed under the pressure and they have to announced an extension of deadline.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card
More on Emirates ID Card extension
As noted earlier, due to failure in meeting its targets, EIDA has extended the registration deadline for professional expatriates from December 31, 2008 to February 28, 2009. However they are still playing with words, saying they have rescheduled the dates for ID card registration.
Now the registration of expatriates working in the government sector and all professional expatriates (Category 1) will continue till February 28, 2009.
Registration of Category 2 – which includes administrative staff in private sector (translators, secretaries, typists, storekeepers and receptionists) and students – will start on March 1 and will continue until June 18.
Categories: Living in Dubai Tags: EIDA, Emirates ID Card