GITEX 2020 Dubai: Around 1 million Emiratis and residents have registered for UAEPass, TRA says

Dubai: More than 950,000 Emiratis, residents and visitors have registered for the UAEPass, a national digital identity system allowing citizens and residents to access more than 5,000 government services, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced during a virtual Press conference on the sidelines of GITEX Technology Week on Tuesday.

Mohammad Al Zarooni, Director at the Policies and Programmes Department at TRA, said: “Our primary goal has always been the happiness of the UAE people and meeting their aspirations by providing easy and affordable services. This is what we were able to achieve through UAEPass, which reduces visits to customer service centres, allowing paperless transactions and reducing time wasted on the roads and in queues.”

“Today, UAEPass services can be used in various sectors. A user can open a bank account or complete a business transaction with a simple click. UAEPass is also used to digitally sign and verify documents, in addition to requesting for digital copies of documents issued to them and use them to obtain government services,” he added.

UAEPass was first launched two years ago, during GITEX Technology Week 2018, as a collaboration between TRA, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) and Smart Dubai. Its objective is to provide a unified digital identity solution for all service providers, while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality and ease of use. The project is supported by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Dubai Electronic Security Centre and all digital entities in the UAE.

Those who signed up for UAEPass can benefit from more than 219 digital service portals across the country, including websites, smartphone applications, digital signature and digital stamp services. It can be used to make digital signatures to legally complete transactions or secure ownership of assets.

How to register for UAE Pass

1. Download the UAEPass application on your phone.

2. Scan your Emirates ID, verify the information required from you and set up a pin, which should not be shared with anyone.

3. Visit a UAEPass kiosk near you to complete the final verification process.

4. Insert your Emirates ID in the self-service machine and follow the instructions on the screen.

5. Scan your fingerprint. Once you have completed the process, you will be able to access all available UAE PASS features.

How secure is UAEPass?

UAEPass provides users with an electronic signature, which is legally valid under UAE law. UAEPass signature and the online services are secured by SHA-256 (Standard Hashing Algorithm), which was built by the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States. SHA-256 is a ‘one-way cryptographic function’, which means that it cannot be decrypted back to the original text.