Saudi Arabia to introduce iris biometric system at entry points

Dubai: The Saudi Ministry of Interior has unveiled plans to introduce an iris recognition biometric system in all its land, sea and airports in efforts to use highly advanced technology to identify passengers and ensure the nation’s safety.

The ministry’s National Information Centre will install the iris recognition system which applies mathematical -recognition techniques to the irises of an individual’s eyes. The centre will conclude a contract with a Saudi company to undertake the import and installation of biometric iris recognition devices that fulfil the high efficiency and international standards. It is inviting bids along with outlining the terms and conditions for the import and installation of the device.

According to experts, iris recognition is the better form of biometric identification than the fingerprint. Each eye, especially iris, has its own distinctive and unique features that are not all identical with anyone else and even the features of the eyes of the same individual are not identical.

The passenger’s iris identification is being carried out through a video camera before decoding and preserving it. Later, it is possible to identify it within seconds when the passenger is looking at the camera. There are several advantages for iris identification than any other biometric identification. This identification is unique, and features of an individual’s iris will never change with the passing of years.