News: Emirates ID is ready to be used as a credit card

The first practical test of Emirates ID card to be used for financial transactions has been successful, a press statement said on Wednesday.

The demonstration of the Emirates ID card’s capability as a payment tool was held in the presence of Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, and Abdulla Qassem, Chairman of Network International, a payment solutions provider.

The successful test also marked a step forward in achieving financial inclusion in the UAE by enabling cash withdrawals at ATMs and payments to be made at domestic point of sale (PoS) terminals, using the national ID card.

Emirates Identity Authority and Network International also affirmed that the security of transactions will be ensured through fool-proof cardholder authentication that includes the user’s biometric details.

During the demonstration, a specimen Emirates ID card was successfully used to make a “purchase transaction” at a PoS terminal, exhibiting the dual use of the card.

The capability to link the national ID to the UAE’s Wages Protection System (WPS) was also showcased.

This development comes after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Emirates Identity Authority and Network International.

Al Khouri said the success of this test paves the way for the UAE’s transition into a secure digital economy.

“This innovation means that it will soon be possible for users to use their ID cards for withdrawing money from ATMs and complete other financial transactions. We are working with a number of organisations to operationalise the identity card’s use in electronic payments, including the UAE Central Bank and the ministries of Finance and Labour. These partners will play a leading role in disseminating this initiative and preparing the ground for the actual implementation,” he added.
Last year Emirates 24/7 had reported that EIDA was working along with banking organisations in the country in order to replace a number of the widely used banking cards with the Emirates ID card.