Saudi Arabia Launches A New Electronic Passport In A Move Towards Digitalisation

Saudi Arabia has launched a new electronic passport, making travel easier for Saudi citizens.
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif, the Minister of Interior in Saudi Arabia, visited the Directorate General of Passports in Riyadh on Thursday and announced the advancements of the new passport.
With the new e-passport, you now have an aesthetic design and some advanced security features.

The Prince met with employees of the command-and-control centre, unified call center 992, and the beneficiary services centre of the passport department during his visit.
He was briefed on the services provided to citizens, residents, and visitors. He was also reviewing some of the technical devices that enable the General Directorate of Passports to continue to provide its distinctive electronic services.

During the ceremony, the Director General of Passports, Lt. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya, said, “We have seen a great and rapid development over the past years, thanks to Allah, as well as to the directives and support of King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and with continuous follow-up from Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud, minister of interior.”
A short video was shown at the ceremony to highlight the beginnings of this sector, its progress and key achievements, as well as the awards it has received so far.

This new e-passport has an electronic chip to protect the holder’s data and photos and a verification feature that can be scanned automatically at smart gates at international borders. Also included are three images of the passport holder, each containing a different technology.
Additionally, the look of the passport has also undergone changes with Kingdom’s most famous historical and cultural landmarks, such as the Makkah Clock Tower.