Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs

The Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs is one of the sectors under the Ministry of Interior in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is responsible for registering citizens and residents, documenting various civil events, and providing related services to individuals and relevant entities using appropriate and available means. The agency traces its origins back to the era of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1924, when the General Directorate of Police was established in Makkah al-Mukarramah, handling both security responsibilities and civil affairs operations.

The origins of the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs date back to a mandate assigned to the General Directorate of Police in Makkah al-Mukarramah during the era of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1924. A law concerning the determination of citizens' nationality was issued on September 29, 1926, and amended in 1930. Subsequently, a law outlining the rules and provisions of Saudi Arabian nationality was enacted by Royal Decree on December 5, 1938.

On August 31, 1939, a Supreme Order was issued establishing the Civil Registry Law. On September 13, 1954, the Council of Ministers approved the Saudi Arabian Nationality Law, and in the same year, some of its articles were amended to align with the developments taking place in the Kingdom.

A Royal Order was issued on December 22, 1986, enacting the Civil Status Law, which abolished the Civil Registry Law and Births and Deaths Law. The Births and Deaths Law was fully integrated into the Civil Status Law, and its jurisdiction was transferred from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Interior, represented by Civil Status. In 1988, a resolution was made to discontinue issuing Civil Registry Booklets and begin issuing Family Records.

In 1960, the General Directorate of Passports and Nationality was established by a resolution from the Council of Ministers, thereby separating the tasks of passports and nationality from the General Security. In 1975, the General Directorate of Passports and Nationality was transformed into an agency known as the Agency of the Ministry of Interior for Passports and Civil Affairs.

On July 7, 1982, a Supreme Order approved the decision of the Supreme Commission for Administrative Reform to establish two directorates: the General Directorate of Passports and the General Directorate of Civil Affairs, both reporting directly to the Minister of Interior and his deputy. In 1994, a decision was issued approving the gradual separation of Civil Affairs with an independent budget. In 2006, another decision was issued linking Civil Affairs directly to the Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs.

The Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs has thirteen branches corresponding to the administrative divisions of the Kingdom. Each branch oversees several civil affairs departments and offices distributed across the cities of the Kingdom.

The number of civil affairs departments and offices reaches approximately 180 for both men and women, in addition to mobile offices.

The Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs performs several mandates, including implementing the Civil Affairs Law and the Saudi Arabian Nationality Law, along with their executive regulations and related instructions. It focuses on documenting the civil status of each citizen and registering all related civil events in their lives in the designated records. Additionally, it registers civil events for residents, visitors, and pilgrims.

The agency is responsible for issuing Civil ID cards (National ID), Family Records, and birth and death certificates. It also issues Hajj permits for citizens, organizes the central civil registry, and assigns a national identification number to every citizen. Furthermore, it provides data to the Ministry of Interior's central information database, coordinates and organizes operations among the agency’s branches, supplies administrative needs such as staff and equipment, and develops and periodically reviews work regulations to ensure optimal performance.

The agency is responsible for preparing and providing statistical reports (daily, monthly, and annual) related to the issuance of cards and documents by Civil Affairs departments. It also contributes to training and technically qualifying personnel to perform various civil affairs tasks through specialized training centers aimed at enhancing their capabilities in the field. The agency prioritizes implementing measures to prevent the forgery of documents issued by Civil Affairs. This includes detecting and combating forgery, promotion, and the unauthorized use of civil documents. It develops and enhances the security of these documents to minimize forgery, coordinating with relevant entities within the Ministry of Interior or other related authorities. Additionally, the agency collaborates in studying and addressing issues related to the Ministry of Interior's responsibilities. As a public-facing sector serving citizens and residents, Civil Affairs represents a critical primary security line and serves as a fundamental information database.

In 1985, Civil Affairs introduced the Civil Registry System for registering citizens. It then developed centralized electronic systems (National Information Center System) to automate the registration of citizens and the issuance of documents through a database storing citizen information. These systems facilitated the issuance of Civil IDs, as well as the registration of events such as marriages, divorces, births, and deaths, in addition to amending records. In 2003, the Electronic Archiving System was implemented to digitize all citizen records, and approval was granted to establish a centralized archive for Civil Affairs.

The Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs has completed several projects, including the full implementation of the National ID issuance system (Centralized Printing System) across all its branches and offices. It has also established model offices and offices in commercial markets for both men and women. The agency introduced an appointment system for Civil Affairs services at its locations and facilitated military government sectors in updating the professions of their personnel through the Ministry of Interior's e-services portal. This system allows access to update professions and make inquiries. Additionally, in 2001, the agency opened women’s sections in various provinces of the Kingdom to receive applications from women seeking Civil Affairs Cards, register related events, or amend records.

The Electronic Transactions Committee at the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs oversees the full transition to electronic transactions, coordinates efforts and initiatives, and identifies and addresses challenges, difficulties, and risks within the agency (sector or emirate). It also submits reports on these matters to the Ministry’s Electronic Transactions Committee.

The committee also works on measuring the digital transformation within the agency, coordinating with the independent government measurement team assigned to the agency, and establishing a timeline for transformation at all levels within the agency. Additionally, it coordinates with the ministry’s Electronic Transactions Committee regarding programs and plans for collaboration with the e-Government Program at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The committee's responsibilities also include implementing the electronic transactions policies and controls approved by the ministry’s Electronic Transactions Committee and developing programs to raise awareness about privacy controls and information security among all clients of the agency.

On December 29, 2022, the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs received five awards at the eighth Absher Forum 2022, including: the Creativity Award for promoting digital services, the Most Impactful Service Award for the National ID Renewal Service, the Humanitarian Services Award for the Family Record for Mothers Service, the Creative Service Award for the Birth Registration for Residents Service, and the Strategic Initiative Award for the Verification of Digital Documents Service.