UAE makes its single sign-on service the front door for 6K private, public services

Single sign-on authentication service has been switched on for all services that the autocratic Arab Emirates offers online.

The UAE Pass, which was extended to 6,000 government and private-sector services this month, was kicked off in February 2021. At that time, the government promised verified accounts could be created in under five minutes. It also set 6,000 services as a target.

The UAE is not alone. In East Africa, Kenyan officials say as many as 5,000 government services can be accessed using a program called Gava Mkononi, which translates to government on touch. Now the task is to start issuing digital IDs in the next three months.

And the United Kingdom’s digital ID, One Login, continues to grow. As of this summer, it worked with 44 sign-in apps.

The UAE Pass is loaded on a phone as an Apple Store or Play app. A physical Emirates ID and the applicant’s face are scanned for biometric verification. The Emirates ID card can be used to open bank accounts and get a mobile connection among other government and private sector tasks.

With the pass, people can access thousands of services through the phone without typing a user name or password, according to Gulf Today, a regional news publication that pledges government deference.

At the same time, French medical data-analysis firm Visiomed says it is now collecting biometric identifiers for the Emirates ID physical card for the government.

Visiomed already performs the medical fitness tests required of newcomers to the growing Gulf country.

The work is being done through a subsidiary, Smart Salem, which claims it is the only medical fitness centers working with the government that is able to ship test results and ID biometrics in 30 minutes from its three facilities. Smart Salem boasts that that is the fastest delivery in Dubai.

The company says it is working with the Dubai International Finance Centre to collect face templates, though does not spell out what the center will be doing.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  face biometrics  |  single sign-on  |  UAE  |  UAE Pass