Kuwait sets deadline for smart ID cards

Manama: Kuwait has given its nationals until March 31 to apply for smart ID cards that will supplant the older identification documents.

“Only smart ID cards will be accepted in transactions in both the public and private sectors,” said Musaad Al Asoossi, the head of the Public Authority for Civil Information. “All nationals are urged to apply for the new card in order to avoid potential problems and disappointments after the deadline of March 31,” he said.

Smart ID cards have been adopted by most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as they planned giant swipes into the future. Bahrain launched the project in 2004 when officials promoted the ID card carrying a 64-kilobyte microchip that held the cardholder’s name, address, national identification number, digital fingerprints and driver’s license, passport, medical, financial and educational data.

GCC citizens holding smart ID cards can travel without their passport in all member countries, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.