Kuwait Issues New National Smart ID Cards
Citizens in Kuwait can now obtain a national smart ID card that can be used for identification purposes, to replace credit cards for cashless payment, and, in the future, to store health medical records. The smart cards will include a personal photo, fingerprint and DNA data to verify the cardholder’s identity and allow for faster access to services. The smart ID cards will also bear the cardholder’s civil ID number, birth date, blood type, address, and e-mail address among other information. The information included on the smart cards will be in both Arabic and English so that the data is easily accessible.
With the smart ID cards, various government and public sector agencies in Kuwait will essentially be networked together to provide relevant and up-to-date information about the card holder instantly. Smart cards were chosen for their ability to store, sync, and amend large amounts of data securely and in real time. The ability to store biometric information on the card is another reason smart cards were chosen. This application of smart cards further demonstrates how smart cards have quickly become the preferred choice for verifying identity.
