Somalia launches e-passport, national ID
21 April, 2014
category: Government, Smart Cards
The Federal Republic of Somalia launched two new citizen ID programs: a new national ID card and e-passport. The ID documents and supporting solutions were designed and implemented by an association of Oman’s Al Madina Group, a security printer and systems integrator; Ebtikart Smart System, a solution provider with presence in Somalia; and HID Global.
The introduction of these identity documents and supporting solutions aims to help the government of Somalia in its efforts to restore law and order, enhance economic development, and improve the standard of living for the citizens of Somalia. The national citizen ID documents improve the security situation in the country by enabling law enforcement agencies to verify citizens’ identities, while the e-passport facilitates international travel across borders. The new electronic passport is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, ensuring that Somali citizens are carrying a fraud-resistant identity document that complies with current international standards.
Al Madina Group, in partnership with Ebtikart Smart System, delivered the secure e-passport and eID projects. HID Global will manufacture and provide secure chip-enabled electronic passport covers and a custom national ID card with multiple security features.
The solutions provided to Somalia have applications in a number of African as well as Middle-Eastern countries, given the need to constantly upgrade their identity management solutions.