RIYADH — According to Civil Affairs spokesman Mohammad Al-Jasser, all Saudi women will be entitled to have the new electronic and smart national ID card with biometric fingerprint technology by 2019, Makkah daily reported. “Since the decision to grant women a national ID, all of the agencies' 27 branches across the Kingdom are crowded. We are overwhelmed, which led us to initiate the online registration service to facilitate the process. During the past year alone, we received over 5.6 million bookings,” said Al-Jasser. The Civil Affairs Department has opened additional branches for women in several areas to cope with demand, accommodate applicants living in rural areas and offer mobile services. “I urge all official directorates in the Kingdom to only accept the national ID card of Saudi women as official ID. This will protect women from falling victim to identity theft and impersonation. The Civil Affairs Department takes full responsibility for ensuring that every national ID issued is a valid one,” said Al-Jasser.
