Saudi Arabia will soon launch electronic passports for its citizens by replacing the current ones with a machine-readable passport (MRP) with extra safety features, said Prince Bandar Bin Abdullah Al-Mashari, Assistant Minister of Interior for Technical Affairs.
The new electronic passport service will be made available within the next few months, Prince Bandar said during his visit to the pavilion of the Saudi Ministry of Interior in the Dubai GITEX Technology Week 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
The new passport will have an electronic chip that contains the data of the passport holder, which can be readable by machines at all airports around the world. Saudis will also be able to renew their national IDs without visiting the Civil Status offices.
“The service of renewing the national ID of Saudi citizens can also be made from anywhere in the world without the need to visit the Civil Status offices, and the ID will be delivered to the beneficiary by mail,” the Minister noted.
All government agencies that offer visas have allowed the registration of biometrics and fingerprints when issuing digital visas without the need to visit embassies.
“The service will be available to everyone according to a timetable to be agreed upon between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all government agencies concerned with each type of visas,” Prince Bandar said.
The Ministry of Interior is participating this year in the GITEX event through five main axes under the slogan of “Technical Solutions for a Safe Homeland.” The axes include digital enablers and their role in governance to serve customers, the ministry’s services provided to pilgrims, dealing with events and crises and work procedures, the future of services and security operations, and the role of modern technologies in combating crime and making cities safer.
The optimal use of technology through the ministry’s Absher portal is also being showcased at the pavilion. In addition, the ministry’s initiatives in the field of creativity and innovation are exhibited to visitors of the pavilion in a number of interactive technical ways that allow them to know the efforts and achievements of the participating sectors.
