ABU DHABI // Government officials hope new procedures will soon take most of the headache out of applying for mandatory national IDs, cutting the process down from hours to 10 minutes or less. In tandem with an increase in facilities that can process applications, the new process will link resident visa and ID data electronically through the appropriate government departments, officials said yesterday.
Two hundred new registration devices will be deployed to mobile centres that serve labourers, and children younger than 15 need not apply for the cards in person. McKee Cajes, 28, a creative designer who has been in Abu Dhabi for three years, said she had tried to get her card last year, but was turned away, and has avoided going back. She was sceptical of the Government's pledge to make the process easier, but said that "if it's true, I would go".
Dr Ali al Khouri, deputy head of the higher committee at Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said it will open a centre in Abu Dhabi that will be bigger than the one in Al Mushrif. The existing 25 medical centres, where residents are tested before receiving their residency visas, will also serve as registration centres. Combining the residency visa renewal process with the ID cards "will help the authority to finish registering all residents in the country within three years", Dr al Khouri said.
"There will also be co-ordination with schools and universities to activate their role in students' registration," he said. Application forms are available online at www.emiratesid.ae. Beginning in April, they will also be available at various printing offices, where applicants can provide documents, fill out forms, pay fees and get appointments to visit a registration centre for the final steps.
Everyone in the country should be registered by the end of the year, officials said. The goal is to create a civil registry of Emiratis and residents in the country. More procedures will be introduced next month. Mayssoun Frieje, who arrived in Abu Dhabi five months ago, said she had found the previous application process easy and had spent just a few minutes waiting at the registration centre to obtain her ID card.
The card, she observed, "will be potentially useful." Others saw no reason for the system's hassle and expense. Gemma Lachica, who arrived in Abu Dhabi nine years ago from the Philippines, said she had printed and filled in the forms available online, but after handing them in, she said, "it took a whole week for them to get me the card". At Dh100 per year, she said, the cost of a card was too high. Worse, she said, she had not yet found a use for it.
* The National, with additional reporting by Matt Chung and Robert Peterson
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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.
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Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
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It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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Tomorrow 2021
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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Long read
Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response
F1 The Movie
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Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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