The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security has a vital job. Set up in 2004, one of its responsibilities is managing identity, employment and other biographical data for the country’s entire population.
Decades ago, the need for such an agency was less pressing. In 1971, the year the Emirates was founded, fewer than 280,000 people called the country home, including a far smaller share of foreign residents than today. By 2004, it was a very different picture, as population levels rose to more than 4 million. The new agency responded by creating the Emirates ID, a document that is permanently evolving to match an ever-changing society.
Today, the Emirates ID is a fundamental part of UAE life, used not only as proof of residency, but even as a health insurance card. Soon, it will be used as a kind of travel document, too. This year, as the population exceeds 10 million, authorities are implementing a major update to the card, announcing that from April 11 it will serve as a replacement to visa stickers inserted into foreign residents’ passports. The move is another step towards simplifying the way residents interact with government, a mission that has received particular attention in recent years, in large part made possible by the release of a new generation of cards last August. New features include non-visible data and a service life of more than 10 years.
This efficiency is about more than people spending less time accessing and waiting for services, although that is still an important goal. It is about creating a state that can stay flexible in the face of rapid technological change. The UAE is aiming to make itself a leader in this regard. In 2013, it launched Smart Government, an initiative that seeks to create a "government that never sleeps", is as "hospitable as hotels" and helps people be happy, among other targets. Technology will make this possible, as only it can keep pace with the rapid comings-and-goings of the modern UAE economy.
But new technology in identity checks is about more than efficiency. As people, money and goods become more mobile, keeping track of crime and fraud is harder. Perhaps the biggest security change to identity documents in recent years has been the use of biometric data, including fingerprints, facial recognition and eye scanners, technology endorsed heavily by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In the UAE, such records are stored in encrypted formats for extra security. Other physical changes to official documents include increasingly complex holograms, intaglio printing (images that can only be seen at particular angles), sophisticated edge design on the ends of pages, watermarks and, crucially, polycarbonate materials, far harder to tamper with and replicate than paper. Finland has led in this regard, using the technique in its driver’s licence in 1989 and in its passport data page in 1995. Printed visa stickers, far easier to copy, will probably be on the way out globally in the decades ahead.
The UAE, a country with such a high share of its growing population on visas, is putting itself at the forefront of this change. If it can execute its wider goal of simplifying the relationship between state and citizen, it will be at the forefront of many other significant changes to come.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
