'Register for ID card before closing date'

Abu Dhabi: Emirates Identity Authority requested all Emiratis who have not registered for ID cards, to complete the registration before March 31 deadline.

Darwish Al Zarouni, Director General of EIDA said although the December 31 deadline was extended by the cabinet for three months, some of the Emiratis did not register. "It was quite strange that not many Emiratis were seen at the registration centres across the country during the past three months", he said in a statement. "Such a situation was not expected after the extension of the deadline."

The centres may be crowded during the coming weeks, so that Emiratis have to complete the registration at the earliest, he said.

He pointed out that nobody should take it as an effort [registration] to avoid the punitive measures like fines.

"It is a national project and everybody has to take part in it".

It was announced earlier that Emiratis who do not register before the deadline would be fined Dh1,000.