Huge rush at Emirates ID centres as deadline looms

Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) received 140 per cent more applications in the first three weeks of May compared to the same period last year. This is apparently due to the huge rush of expatriate applicants to meet the impending deadline in Dubai.

The deadline for Dubai residents ends on May 31 after which a fine of Dh20 will be imposed per day. This can even go up to Dh1,000.

As part of a media and advertising campaign, the EIDA distributed around 1 million copies of two brochures in nine languages. One brochure titled ‘Don't Panic' urged the public not to worry too much about the fines. You can avoid a fine by filling out the application form at any typing centre in Dubai before June 1, it said. Keep the appointment for registration mentioned in the application form or subsequent text message. If your residence visa expires in 2012, you can apply for the ID card while renewing the visa, it reads.

The EIDA received 457,536 applications for issuing ID cards across the country (new and renewal) in the first three weeks of this month, a spokesman of the authority told Gulf News yesterday. It received 191,554 ID card applications in May 2011, he added.

He said the authority had used all means of communication to remind residents to abide by the deadline.

"We had launched an advertising and media campaign one year ago, utilising newspapers, the Dubai Metro, social media channels and text messages," he said.

Part of the communication initiative was to send around 24,000 text messages to public relations officers in Dubai, asking them to inform employees at their organisation to register before June 1 to avoid the fine.

Additionally, the EIDA also forwarded awareness messages to residents through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in cooperation with the government and private organisations.