News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Saudi Arabia to begin biometric visa program

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Saudi Arabia will begin a biometric visa program in an effort to improve their visa services while also strengthening their national security, according to an Economic Times article. The system, which is expected to begin in 2010, will require a seeker of a visa provide fingerprint samples and a digital photograph.

Officials from the country’s government have already begun seeking out companies to assist them with the setup of service centers throughout the world in major cities to both take care of the issuance of visas as well as the collection of the biometric data.


They are expecting the new system, which builds off the recent implementation of a system that collects biometric information from visitors traveling through their airport, to reduce long lines and delays and airports for the collection of biometric data.

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Smart card management software provider Bell ID announced that it has signed with one of Saudi Arabia’s leading banks to issue EMV cards.

Bell ID’s software suite, ANDiS will provide the bank, which has no been disclosed, EMV data preparation, smart card and application management, central issuance and instant issuance of EMV cards.

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Two chips on a card is nothing new, but three plus an optical stripe?

Sometimes the best way to improve on an idea is to incorporate the tried and true.

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Smart cards and biometrics may make it easier to get through immigration check points at Saudi Arabia international airports, according to a news report in the Saudi Gazette.

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LaserCard Corp. has received a purchase order to supply additional optical security media cards for Italy’s Citizen ID Card program, known as the Carta d’Identità Elettronica or CIE, to be delivered by November 2010 at a value of $550,000. The ID cards are used by citizens for identification and travel.

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LaserCard Corp. has received a follow-on purchase order valued at $1.6 million for chip-ready, optical security media-based credentials for the Saudi Arabia national ID card program. Delivery is scheduled to occur in the company’s second fiscal quarter ending September 2010.

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APS Technology Group is partnering with Zebra to integrate solutions for tracking containers and truck processing for the Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company of Saudi Arabia.

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