The Director General of the Civil Status and Passports Department, Ghaith Al-Tayeb, said on Monday that the adoption of the digital identity obliges official institutions and bodies to accept it, while the matter in the private sector remains subject to the discretion of the concerned party.
Al-Tayeb pointed out During his speech, he pointed out that the citizen is no longer required to carry both copies together, as he can use the application to display his digital identity and verify it through the available technical features such as the quick response code (QR).
He stressed that the department bases its work on an integrated legislative system that includes the Civil Status Law, the Passports Law, the Personal Status Law, and the Nationality Law, explaining that the latest amendment came to the Civil Status Law and addressed the issue of identity.
Al-Tayeb explained that the identity currently in use is a smart identity containing an electronic chip on which part of its owner’s data is stored, noting that the previous law did not address the digital identity, which necessitated introducing an amendment to resolve the controversy and determine its legal validity.
He explained that the digital identity established through the “Sanad” application is a reflection and digital representation of the traditional identity, and it cannot exist without the latter, stressing that the law has officially approved it after completing the stages of its approval in the National Assembly, so that it becomes approved and has legal authority in government transactions.
He pointed out that the expiry of the traditional ID necessarily means the expiry of the digital ID, which requires renewing the card so that the updated data is reflected in the application.
Al-Tayeb stressed that the move towards adopting digital identity comes within the framework of digital transformation and the public sector development roadmap, which aims to simplify procedures and enhance integration between institutions, indicating that the Civil Status and Passports Department is linked with about 280 government agencies, which supports the concept of a unified government and reduces the demand for paper documents from citizens.