Qatar issues Gulf region’s first ePassport through De La Rue
28 September, 2007
category: Biometrics, Government
Qatar has selected De La Rue Identity Systems to supply an integrated ePassport solution. The biometric document will be International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant and will be integrated into Qatar’s existing eID system. Used in conjunction with De La Rue’s secure laminate MLIS™, SIPS™ 500e automatically both encodes the chips with the holder’s personal and biometric data and personalizes the physical document.
De La Rue Delivers Gulf Region’s First ePassport for State of Qatar
LONDON – The State of Qatar has chosen De La Rue Identity Systems to supply an integrated end-to-end ePassport solution, providing it with an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliant biometric document which includes the latest high security features and is integrated into Qatar’s existing eID scheme.
De La Rue has supplied Qatar’s travel documents for over 15 years. De La Rue’s latest integrated solution incorporates ePassport documents, MIDIS™ document issuing system and the recently launched SIPS™ 500e for automated ePassport personalization. Used in conjunction with De La Rue’s secure laminate MLIS™, SIPS™ 500e automatically both encodes the chips with the holder’s personal and biometric data and personalizes the physical document. Sophisticated tracking and audit control features ensure that the secure laminates and passports are recorded and tracked as the document moves through the system. This provides the reassurance that every passport issued is a unique document, properly assigned to the correct individual.
James Thorburn, Managing Director of De La Rue Identity Systems, commented, “We’re very proud to be working in partnership with the State of Qatar to launch the region’s first ePassport. The new document will enable the Government to offer an enhanced level of service and security to its citizens and visitors, marking a new phase in passport issuing in the Middle East.”
De La Rue is the world’s largest commercial security printer and papermaker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents such as passports, authentication labels and fiscal stamps. The Company is also pioneering new technologies worldwide in government identity solutions for national identification, driving license and passport issuing schemes. Employing over 6,000 people across 31 countries, it is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and software solutions to banks and retailers worldwide, helping them to reduce the cost of handling cash.
About De La Rue Identity Systems
-
Identity Systems has successfully implemented over 50 national schemes across every continent.
-
We produce passports for 35 countries including ePassports for Ireland, the Bahamas and Qatar, the Mexican passport, The New York State driving licence and national ID cards for Chile, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
-
De La Rue produced its first passport (for the UK Government) in 1915.
-
Backed by many years experience in designing and producing passports Identity Systems experts act as advisers to ICAO and ISO, helping to define passport standards and electronic infrastructure.
-
We have also contributed to the activities of other international organisations including: Interpol, the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Comité Interamericano Contra el Terrorismo (CICTE).
-
In the 2005 ePassport interoperability tests our ePassport was among the top 3 for its read times with a 100% success rate with all compliant readers used.
