Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif inaugurated the new Saudi electronic passport during a visit to the Directorate General of Passports in Riyadh on Thursday. 

With its advanced security features and aesthetic design, the passport is a step forward in the country’s digital transformation process — one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The minister met with the employees of the command-and-control center, workers at unified call center 992, and the staff members of the beneficiary services center in the passport directorate.

He was briefed on the services provided to citizens, residents, and visitors. He also reviewed some of the technical devices that enable the General Directorate of Passports to continue providing its distinctive electronic services.

In his speech during the ceremony, Director General of Passports Lt. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yahya, said his directorate has witnessed “a great and rapid development over the recent years, thanks to Allah and then thanks 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.

After that, the attendees watched a short video showing the beginnings of the passport sector, its progress, key achievements it has made, and the awards it has received.

The minister then inaugurated the new passport, which was designed with the highest technical specifications and modern security features used in international travel documents.

He signed the inauguration document of the new passport, which came as a result of the cooperation between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

The passport contains an electronic chip to protect the holder’s personal data and photos, in addition to a verification feature that can be auto-scanned at smart gates at international borders.

The pages of the new passport are decorated to represent the Kingdom’s most famous historical and cultural landmarks, such as the Makkah Clock Tower. The passport also includes three images of the passport holder, each containing different technology.