ID card registration deadline extended

Abu Dhabi: As many as 190,000 UAE citizens have been exempt from paying a fine of Dh1,000 for not registering for National ID card by the Wednesday deadline, thanks to a Cabinet decision on Sunday.

The December 31 deadline has been extended by three months and citizens have to pay no fine during the extended period, according to the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on the instructions of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.

All those citizens who were unable to register "for identity card and population register will have sufficient time to register before fines can be imposed", said the statement.

The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) is happy to receive the 'timely cabinet decision' as it will benefit about 190,000 citizens who may fail to register before December 31, a senior official told Gulf News on Sunday.

"It is good news for us as we also did not want to adopt punishment like fines to implement a national project", said Thamer Rashid Al Qasimi, Planning Director and Project Management Director at EIDA.

"Although we provided all the facilities and means for the registration of Emiratis since 2006, somehow large number of people was left out".

Numbers: 190,000 to benefit

Expatriate professionals

Expatriate professionals yet to complete registration by February 28, 2009: About 493,000