Your Emirates ID could soon be history as proof of identification. In the near future, your face will be your identity – literally – and provide all details about you in the UAE.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has launched the upgraded version of the Digital Certification Portal for government and private institutions to verify the personal identity of individuals using the facial recognition feature.

“This upgraded technology does the validation of your face and stores it in the database. The algorithm will capture the facial biometrics and get the details of your identity. The technology may be available within a month,” said Majed Alblooshi, head of digital services section, ICA.

The updated algorithm of facial recognition allows easy identification of individuals within only three seconds and the service is available for Emirates ID holders who are 15 years and above.

Anyone holding an Emirates ID can register for the service from a customer service station, smart apps or self-service machines. Once the facial biometric is registered at the ICA portal, the user receives a One Time Password (OTP) for confirmation of his identity. “Once the identity is confirmed, physical Emirates ID is not required to confirm one’s identity. This new system will do it.”

“The user’s data, including Emirates ID number, passport number, unified identification number and a specific QR code will be saved and he/she can get the digital copy of their Emirates ID, passport etc. The QR code generated for the user can also be used for identity by confirming with the OTP,” Alblooshi said.

“UAE nationals will have an option for a family book, and for expats a residency copy will be saved along with details of the dependents,” Alblooshi added.

Alblooshi mentioned that this will ease operations in banking, healthcare and various businesses, and also with the government entities.

“The UAE is focusing on digitalisation for a positive change. This is one of the projects that we are following.” Alblooshi concluded.