“The new service enables government departments and private sector establishments to inquire about the authenticity of anyone’s national identity card, including its validity,” Director of Electronic Services for the Civil Status Directorate Turki bin Abdullah Al-Oayd said.

The service can be accessed at the e-services section on the Interior Ministry’s website at www.moi.gov.sa. The civil registration number on the card and the number of the card’s edition is required. The new system aims at eliminating the misuse of stolen or lost ID cards.

Meanwhile, an official source at the Interior Ministry has disclosed that the ministry plans to replace the old national identity card with a smart card that encompasses the information stored on different cards issued by the various administrations of the ministry.

“The former national identity card has been replaced with a new one that is fitted with a smart chip, where a citizen's personal information, driver's license information, passport information and family record are stored. The new card can also be a link between the ministry and his health as it holds a citizen’s basic health information,” the source said.