1.1219293-2862930828
A Bahraini ID card Image Credit: Smart Card

Manama: Citizens and residents of Bahrain have been urged to carry their identity cards (ID) with them at all times to avoid paying fines.

Failure to present the ID upon request from the competent authorities would amount to “a crime in accordance with Law 46/2006 and the penalty is a fine of up to 300 dinars (Dh2,921),” the Director of Legal Affairs at the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The official said that he looked forward to close cooperation of all citizens and residents with various interior ministry departments “out of the community partnership strategy and for the sake of security protection”.

All Bahrainis and foreigners living in Bahrain are issued an electronic Smart Card that “securely stores a variety of information about the holder”. The card features built-in biometrics, including fingerprints, as well as the photograph and signature of the holder. It also contains data and information from the holder’s passport and driving licence, the holder’s basic medical details and the latest academic qualifications.

A Smart Card is valid for five years in Bahrain.