UAE, the United Arab Emirates, has made a decision to advance its efforts in transforming the region digitally. The most recent development comes in the form of the UAE Pass, a digital identity that grants access to its citizens to over 6,000 services. These include public and private services, which are key to their everyday life. The step aligns with the mission of promoting digitalization via the implementation of digital identity.
People will have to download the mobile application and activate their respective accounts by scanning their identities. It will cover the services of more than 130 organizations – federal and local. The report has claimed that this is the first-ever step in the direction of going digital. A focus will be on robust security, maintenance of accuracy standards, and confidentiality.
The move is likely to make the life of the residents of the UAE simpler while accelerating service processes.
The UAE Pass mobile application may require additional details to activate the account. For instance, a user may have to verify their accounts through facial recognition. It will enable them to check all the necessary data. The development pertains to the efforts of the Finance Ministry of the UAE. Moving forward, the UAE is aiming to implement the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025.
The UAE Pass highlights the willingness of the UAE to transform the region digitally. However, it is not the first country to have implemented such a transformational move for its citizens. Other countries like the US, the UK, Canada, India, and Switzerland, among many others, have already gained this edge.
Digital identity is basically the process of creating a person’s identity over the internet. These are unique to them and often linked to their phone numbers or government-issued documents. They offer tons of benefits including, but not limited to, quicker verification of documents, minimization of identity theft risk, and enhanced access to basic necessities for those who are in need.
The World Bank once reported that nearly a billion people across the globe are unable to prove their identity. Not having an identity or being unable to prove one’s identity puts hurdles in the way when it comes to taking benefits of government services like banking and/or distribution of food kits. Digital identity eliminates a lot of barriers, enabling them to have the identity and prove it when the time arises.
The UAE taking a step in this direction is noteworthy, considering its residents will have a smoother experience at the time of getting their documents moved or while accessing over 6,000 services of private or public organizations.
As of now, digital identities have been implemented by developed and developing countries alike. The utility of the same may vary, but the implementation has been done on a larger scale. For example, the European Union requires a physical presence of a person for bank account opening.