iGA: More than 190,000 new eKey users registered since start of the pandemic
The government’s eKey service has witnessed a surge in demand during the pandemic, with more than 190,000 new users registering since the beginning of March, 2020, Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) Director of Government Systems Support & Maintenance Hesham Ebrahim AlHashemi said.
With the total number of users now topping 572,000, there have been more than 30 million successful eKey entries accessing safe and secure electronic services since the start of the pandemic.
AlHashemi said the eKey offers access to eServices through the National Portal, bahrain.bh, as well as other electronic government channels, eliminating the need to enter personal information repeatedly across platforms.
Users can also opt to receive important notifications by email or SMS by entering their details in the system's website, www.ekey.bh.
These include alerts when users’ personal data is updated, their accounts are upgraded, and their passwords are changed, as well as updates on various other transactions conducted through the iGA’s electronic channels.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been greater linking of various government systems and services to the eKey, which simplified identity verification and allowed transactions online to be sped up, supporting social distancing measures, ensuring business continuity, and all but eliminating the need for physical visits.
Recent additions to the National Portal include a range of services offered by the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Labor & Social Development, among others.
AlHashemi called on the public to register for the eKey service, which offers Basic and Advanced levels of access. The Basic level, available to all Bahrain citizens and residents, as well as those who hold ID cards issued by other GCC countries, can be accessed through either the National Portal or the eKey website.
Holders of the Basic eKey can upgrade their accounts to the Advanced level through a one-time visit for ID card and fingerprint verification at the iGA’s ID Card Service Center in Isa Town, the Bahrain Investors Center at the Financial Harbor, or the Social Insurance Organization.
They can also do this through one of the IGA’s self-service kiosks, which were launched by His Excellency the Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in February 2021 and are available at the ID Card Service Centers in Isa Town, Muharraq, and Mina Salman.
A total of 153 eServices that require an eKey are available through the National Portal, bahrain.bh and the eGovernment app store, bahrain.bh/apps, including services related to ID cards, the General Department of Traffic, judiciary and courts, commercial records, educational qualification certifications, financial support for low-income individuals, and the Wejhati app for travelers who wish to keep in touch with Bahrain’s embassies abroad.
