UAE Pass expands its reach to boost online access to services

The UAE is building a single digital-identity platform for residents and citizens to securely obtain access to online government and private sector services.

More than two million people have been registered with the UAE Pass. This represents more than a fifth of the population.

The digital ID initiative began in October 2018.

The Central Bank approved its use for remote banking throughout the country.

Western Union and Al Fardan Exchange were among the first businesses to integrate UAE Pass, allowing customers to send and receive money online securely.

In recent years, people have used UAE Pass to access healthcare apps when booking Covid-19 vaccine appointments, among other services.

It also enables users to download a digital copy of their Emirates ID.

“UAE Pass has been and continues to be a participatory project that reflects co-operation,” said Mohammed Al Zarooni, deputy director general of the information and digital government sector at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.

He said more than 180 federal, local and private entities now used UAE Pass, and it was integrated across more than 400 digital channels.

At the end of last year, Dubai announced it had met its goal of going paperless, with all government services for employees, citizens and residents made available online.

The goal is to digitise every aspect of civic life for residents, including property management, banking and vehicle ownership.

The UAE Pass is a collaboration between Digital Dubai, the TDRA and Abu Dhabi Digital Authority.

The evolving demands of a digital economy where public and private sector services can be accessed from a smartphone increasingly require that people be able to

prove their identity in order to participate.

Proponents say that such digital ID systems can improve access to things such as financial and government services. Digital ID programmes have become an area of growing focus for countries around the world, with numerous nations introducing such initiatives.

Singapore is among the world’s leaders on this front, with more than half of its population using a digital ID system. Its Singpass can be used to access more than 250 digital services from 60 government agencies.

These include filing taxes and applying for public housing online.

Elsewhere, countries are grappling with the security and privacy implications of centralising population data on a single platform.

Last year, the High Court of Kenya ruled that the introduction of a nationwide biometric ID scheme was illegal. Efforts to create digital ID schemes have also been delayed in the EU and US.

However, if security issues are addressed, then digital ID schemes could be a critical component of modern economies, the World Economic Forum has said.