ABU DHABI // The deadline for Emiratis to register for national identity cards has been extended by three months, after thousands failed to sign up in time and registration centres struggled to cope with a last-minute rush.
The deadline was to be Wednesday but was pushed back to the end of March, the Ministry of Interior said yesterday.
The move follows a directive by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The extension means that those Emiratis not registered will not face Dh1,000 (US$272) fines in January, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of the Interior, said in a written statement.
Employees at Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) yesterday were unaware of the extension, saying that as far as they knew citizens still have to sign up by the end of the year. No spokesman for the EIDA was available to comment.
"We've had no information on an extension, that may be due to the fact it's a public holiday," a call-centre worker said.
Registration centres have been flooded in the past two weeks as some of the 100,000 Emiratis who have not obtained identity cards scrambled to sign up.
"In all the centres there is too much of a rush because of the local registration deadline," said another call-centre operator. Also unaware of the deadline extension, he advised anyone who was not a UAE national to wait until the new year to sign up to avoid the crush.
Several Emiratis said they were relieved to hear the news. Hamdan Saleh Sayari, a 29-year-old police officer, was concerned he would be fined for failing to register each of his three children.
"Initially I was not sure that young children had to be registered along with the adults," said Mr Sayari. "For those working in the police and in the government we were required to register early on and the process was fairly easy, but when I went to register my wife, it took several hours."
According to the EIDA, children are required to be registered.
Khalifa al Shamsi, 61, a retired former businessman, was not surprised by the extension.
"I anticipated this, as extensions have been given to everyone else," he said. "I read that there are tens of thousands, including one of my sons, who had not registered.
This is good news." Earlier this month expatriate professionals were given an extra two months to register for the cards. The estimated 400,000 expatriates who still need to register have until Feb 28 to sign up. They will not be fined for not having a card until 2010.
At the end of October Thamer, Rashed Al Qasemi, planning director of the EIDA, insisted that the end-of-year deadlines would remain firm, despite the high numbers of people who still had to register. Registration centres have been swamped in recent months after professionals, including anyone holding a university degree, were told they would not be able to access government services, including health care, after Dec 31 without cards.
Staff at registration centres were given anger-management training to deal with the rush of frustrated people trying to have their applications processed.
Administrative workers, including secretaries, translators, typists and shopkeepers, as well as expatriates employed in the hotel, restaurant and tourism industries, can apply from March 1.
The centres will embark on registering an estimated three million construction workers in the UAE starting next October through to 2010.
ealghalib@thenational.ae
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Company%20Profile
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%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
