Manama: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The Kingdom of Bahrain’s digital residency or QR Code initiative unveiled on Monday will replace one million stickers a year.
This initiative is in addition to the Kingdom’s announcement for joining other 150 countries worldwide for issuing the digital passports. The digital passports are being issued in Bahrain only and soon the same facility will be made available in Bahraini embassies across the world.
This was announced during a Press conference addressed by Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) at the Police Club in presence of Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of eGovernment Authority, and Shaikh Ahmed Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary at the NPRA.
The Undersecretary announced the launch of the digital residency permit and the issuance of passports via the national portal Bahrain.bh.
He asserted that the two services aim to provide additional facilities to meet the developments of Bahrain led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, and Prime Minister.
He highlighted that in the presence of other senior officials to discuss the two new services. They are part of the 24X7 NPRA initiatives approved by the Cabinet to promote the economic recovery plan of the Kingdom.
He said that nine out of the 24 initiatives were accomplished in the first quarter of the current year.
He continued that the NPRA development plan aims to reduce monotonous procedures and reinforce digital transformation. The development and facilitation operations provide speedy and high-quality services for clients to achieve Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.
Al Qaed said that the two new NPRA services are the beginning of a series of advanced services in the next 12 months in cooperation with the eGovernment Authority. He said that the services come to implement the decisions of the Executive Committee and the Cabinet to transform documents and certificates into digital copies.
He said that the launch of the e-service reflects the follow-up of His Excellency Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to all digital transformation efforts of the Interior Ministry’s directorates. He asserted that the authority cooperates with the Ministry’s directorates to execute the digital transformation operations, in which 130 e-services had been launched.
The NPRA Undersecretary said that the digital residency permits would serve residents and their families and owners of companies and organisations. He said it would reduce paperwork, help re-organise employees’ tasks by 30 per cent, and reduce visits to services centres by 50 per cent. He also revealed the cancellation of the residency permit sticker, of which the NPRA issues more than one million stickers annually.
The service is available throughout the day via the Bahrain.bh, and the residency permit details can be viewed anywhere through the QR code. The permit could be renewed from inside or outside Bahrain. It also could be printed through the ID or passport number.
Regarding the issuance of passports, the NPRA Undersecretary said that the service is allocated for newborn citizens. The passport would be issued after issuing the birth certificate that is also available via Bahrain.bh and Sehati app. The service targets newborns who are living in Bahrain and the application should be submitted by the Bahraini father who is also living in Bahrain.
He asserted that the NPRA continues with its efforts to facilitate the digital transformation plans, hailing the significant support of the Interior Minister.
