According to the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA), the name of the Emirates ID card, which is issued to residents of the country today, will be replaced by the name "Resident Identification Card", which will be issued to those who are not citizens of the state. This decision was made by the Federal National Council, which considers it necessary to emphasize the differences between citizens of the country and foreigners. Meanwhile, the expatriates' Emirates ID cards do not need to be replaced until they expire.
It should be noted that EIDA encountered difficulties in issuing identification cards to residents, the deadline for receiving them was extended several times. The scheme, which was invented in 2005, aimed at creating a single document on the basis of a labor card, visa and other documents to simplify interaction between government bodies. Each card contains the address of the owner, his photo, date of birth and fingerprints and can be used as an official document in the countries of the Council of Cooperation of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf (GCC).
