The Sharjah Finance Department (SFD) announced in a press conference today that they have launched a user-friendly e-payment technology, Emirates ID, in partnership with the Emirates Identity Authority (EIA). The Emirates ID card can be used to make payments for service fees for all Sharjah government departments. This technological achievement goes hand in hand with the Finance Department’s strategy to maximize efficiency and ensure consumer satisfaction and contentment.

The strategic agreement between Sharjah Finance Department and Emirates Identity Authority indicates that the Department’s system is now linked to all other government departments, thus allowing the public to make payments with ease and convenience.

Waleed Al Sayegh, Director General of the Sharjah Finance Department, comments: “Our vision of improving our services using the latest technology and standards is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, the Ruler of Sharjah. We would also like to thank the Emirates Identity Authority for their support and time to make this milestone happen.”

He added: “We are always looking to improve our services and maintain our standards at the highest possible level. Sharjah is the first government in the region to adopt these financial services that allow individuals to make payments through kiosks available at common spaces like shopping malls. Thus, we would like to set the standard for governmental finance departments in the UAE with regards to technology.”

The Emirates ID card can be used to top-up credit at selected machines and consequently act as a debit card which people can use to make payments in the future. This technology paves the way for establishing a unified e-payment gate for all users seeking governmental services through the use of their IDs as a standardized key. This key will perform all individual payments for any governmental department in an extremely user-friendly and specific manner.