RIYADH — Citizens and expats no longer need to queue up in front of telecom offices to register their fingerprints for mobile SIM cards. They will be allowed to register their mobile phone numbers through the Abshir portal. Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, has asked the National Information Center to find a way to allow registered citizens and residents to register their mobile phone numbers electronically, said center's Director General Tariq Al-Shaddi. The center expects to launch the service within a month, he said. Long queues of mobile phone subscribers have been witnessed outside telecom offices and outlets. In January, Saudi Arabia started fingerprinting anyone looking to buy a SIM card and those already having a SIM card as a security measure. Fingerprint data will be shared with the National Information Center to "confirm the identity of the buyer." The law was initially passed on Sept. 2, 2015 after the Ministry of Interior requested the authorities to step up efforts to stop people using mobile phones for purposes that "threaten national security". All mobile phone companies must comply with the new rules on purchasing SIM cards. Earlier this month, the Commission for Information Technology and Communication (CITC) extended by 45 days the grace period for taking fingerprints for prepaid mobile telephone service. The grace period extension for prepaid service will end on June 2, 2016, Saudi Press Agency quoted CITC as stating Sunday. CITC also announced that the grace period for updating postpaid cards (mobile telephone service with bills) and authenticating them by giving one's fingerprint has been extended for 90 days, ending on July 28, 2016 (23/10/1437H). CITC said in its statement on Sunday: "If the data are not authenticated with a fingerprint during the grace period, the mobile telephone (SIM) card that has not been updated will be suspended for two weeks. If it is not updated during the suspension period, the service for the subscriber will be disconnected completely."
