Dubai: The UAE will soon start using facial ID in some sectors to verify the identity of individuals and to avoid paperword.
According to a tweet by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the new experience will be led by the Ministry of Interior and if succeeded, it would be expanded so as to facilitate transaction completion procedures.
Facial recognition would be used in "some private-sector services to verify the personal identity of individuals instead of submitting a lot of documents," the tweet said.
The new mechanism was approved during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Sheikh Mohammed at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.
In a series of tweets, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Today, I chaired a Cabinet meeting, during which we lauded the UAE’s historic achievement, which we made when the Hope Probe reached Mars. It is a new milestone to start with the next fifty in the UAE. This project has taken the scientific aspirations of Arabs to new heights”.
Hope Probe success
Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the success of the Hope Probe is a result of determination and persistence shown by Emirati youth.
He stressed that empowering young Emiratis is an established approach that the UAE has believed in since the establishment of the Union. "Our country celebrates the Hope Probe braking into orbit around Mars, a historic milestone that marks the beginning of the coming 50 years."
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
During the meeting, the Cabinet approved the Ministry of Interior’s proposal on employing facial recognition technology to further develop the services provided by private and government sectors, with the aim of facilitating procedures. The employment of facial recognition technology will facilitate services to the public at any time and place without the need of traditional means of identification such as official documents.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) will expand the use of facial recognition technology after the completion of the initial period, during which the MoI will launch a set of services using facial recognition technology in some private sector institutions.
Data collection
The Cabinet approved the National Standards Manual for Statistical Data, which will serve as a unified framework for methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage, and presentation of statistical data. The Manual ensures consistency and defines the professional basis and the level of quality expected in all statistical activities.
The manual includes eight basic topics: economic statistics, social and demographic statistics, education statistics, employment statistics, environment statistics, buildings and housing units statistics and administrative divisions of each emirate.
Premarital screening
The Cabinet reviewed a study on the premarital screening for genetic diseases and ways to reduce the incidence of genetic diseases. The study aims at prevention of mental and physical disabilities and reducing mortality rate among children, as well as reducing the burden on the family. The study outlines the importance of premarital genetic test as a tool that can predict the risk of developing genetic diseases. A unified digital register of the UAE's genetic diseases will be created, including the results of premarital examinations on recessive genetic diseases. A national laboratory specialising in the science of genetic testing will also be established.
The study also introduces innovative means to inform the community about the importance of genetic testing using awareness campaigns.
Environmental Impact Assessment
The Cabinet approved a decision to amend the executive regulations of the Environment Protection and Development law concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The exemption aims at ensuring the availability of products and the continuity of the supply chain for commodities.
Etihad Railway
The Cabinet approved the restructure of Etihad Railways' board chaired by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Cabinet approved the restructure of the working group responsible for online communication and work automation, headed by Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications.
The Cabinet approved the formation of the Standing Committee on Conventions. The committee will be headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Cabinet approved adopting the previous daily decline percentage for the shares in the stock markets (a fluctuation limit of 10 percent).
