Former UAE monopoly Etisalat has announced that 95 percent of its subscribers have completed a SIM card registration campaign that aims to crack down on identity theft.
The UAE’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) initiative My Mobile, My Identity initiative, which began in mid-2012, is set to end on July 16, the telco said in a statement.
The push to re-register SIM cards comes as part of a directive from the watchdog that applies to customers of both Etisalat and rival du.
The TRA said the move is part of a crackdown on identity theft and other fraudulent activity.
Etisalat said that to avoid disconnection, Etisalat’s non-registered mobile customers must register their SIM cards by the deadline.
The registration policy requires mobile subscribers to produce valid and original identification documents at any of Etisalat’s kiosks available across the country along with a copy of the ID proof.
Documents include Emirates ID or passport for UAE nationals, GCC National ID or passport for GCC nationals, and the Emirates ID or passport along with valid residence visa for all other nationalities. Business and government customers must present a valid establishment card issued by Ministry of Interior in the UAE.
Etisalat said last year it had disconnected 1.3 million mobile phone lines as part of the campaign.
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