The Emirates Identity Authority said it had distributed a total of 700,000 electronic card readers to public and private sector organisations since the middle of 2013 until December 2014.

This resulted in savings to the tune of Dh50 million ($13.6 million) for the recipient organisations, said the Authority in a statement.

The distribution of the card readers was aimed at achieving its strategic objective of integration and inter-linkage, thereby maximising the use of the identity card and making it the principal document of individual identification in the country in both the public and private sectors, it added.

The Authority stressed that it had distributed most of the cards free of cost, except in the case of commercial entities. “The use of the card readers will help establishments ascertain individual identities of their customers more reliably and much faster, saving money and time as well as simplifying procedures,” it stated.

The Authority said the distribution of card readers would conclude as per a set timeframe, resulting in an advanced identity management system in all sectors across the country and supporting the transition to a secure and globally competitive knowledge economy.-TradeArabia News Service