National Identity Card

The National Identity Card is the official document for proving the identity of male and female citizens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is issued by the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs. In its early stages, it was called 'Hafizat Al-Nufus' (Civil Registry Book) or 'Tabi'iyyah'.

The right side of the card contains the citizen’s basic information: full name, ten-digit identity number, date and place of birth, and expiration date. The cardholder’s photo appears on the left side, along with the basic information in English.

The national identity card is issued to individuals upon reaching the age of fifteen. Its validity period depends on the age group, as follows: for those aged fifteen to thirty, the national identity card is valid for five years; for those aged thirty-one to fifty, it is valid for ten years; and for individuals aged fifty-one and above, it is valid for twenty years. The Absher application, provided by the Ministry of Interior, allows users to book an appointment to apply for the card. It is issued through the offices of the Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs. The card also enables citizens who hold it to enter the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries without the need for a passport.

Date of issuance of the National Identity Card

The use of identification documents for Saudi citizens began six years before the unification of Saudi Arabia was declared. The first entity to issue them, before the Ministry of Interior was established, was the Directorate of General Population Statistics. The first identification document for Saudi citizens was titled “Population Statistics Ticket for Saudi Tribes and Nomads.”

The Population Record was linked to the project of Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud to document the population of Saudi Arabia and settle the nomadic tribes. The personal document was a small piece of reinforced cardboard bearing the information of one individual on both sides. At the time, the Directorate of General Population Statistics dispatched specialized committees to conduct this census and issue the record, which was certified by the emir or the tribal sheikh.

Stages of development of the National Identity Card

The Population Record evolved and came to be known as the Population Register, encompassing Saudi citizens from both settled and nomadic communities. It began to be certified by specialized committees, and later underwent changes allowing the inclusion of the cardholder’s family members, such as the wife and children. Its name was also changed to Hafizat Al-Nufus.

In 1986, the Civil Status Law was issued during the reign of King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and it became applicable to national identity cards. This came fifty-four years after the enforcement of the earlier law issued during the reign of Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, which was known as the Civil Registry Law.

The Family Register appeared in 1991. It consisted of a reinforced document containing the information of the cardholder and the details of their dependents. It gradually replaced Hafizat Al-Nufus, which ceased to be issued in 1988.

With the introduction of computers, the Civil Affairs Card began to be issued and became the sole means of personal identification for men starting in 1997. As for women, they continued to be identified through the Family Register until 2006.

The Hijri date 7/1 marks an important stage in the history of identity documentation for Saudi citizens, as nearly two generations share the same day and month of birth. When the government began conducting census operations and issuing identification documents, it faced difficulty in accurately determining the birth days and months for a segment of the population. As a result, a Supreme Order was issued stipulating that the first of Rajab be adopted as the official birth date for Saudi citizens in such cases.

Enabling women to obtain the National Identity Card

The Civil Status Law was amended in 2013, making it mandatory for Saudi women to obtain an independent national identity card.

In 2019, amendments were issued to the Civil Status Law by Royal Decree from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, approving the empowerment of women within the law and lifting the restrictions that had previously limited their rights. Women were granted the ability to obtain the Family Register themselves, register death cases, and be officially recognized by the law as heads of household—a designation that was previously limited to husbands only under the former law.

Digital National Identity Card

In 2021, the Ministry of Interior issued an electronic version of the national identity card through the Ministry’s digital application “Absher Individuals,” under the name “Digital Identity.” This was done in cooperation with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), represented by the National Information Center. The initiative facilitates verifying the identity of citizens who do not have their physical card with them, by enabling users to view their identity data electronically via the “Absher Individuals” app, including a QR code. It also allows users to download a copy of the identity card to their smart device for offline use.

In the same year, the Ministry of Interior launched the “Digital Identity” project through the “Tawakkalna” application. It includes the “National Identity” for Saudi citizens and the “Resident Identity” for residents, enabling its official use as a digital means of identification. This identity is identical to the digital identity in the Ministry of Interior’s “Absher Individuals” application and is considered an officially recognized proof of identity for citizens and residents when needed.