Emirates ID holders can now Skype Eida officials

December 25, 2013

Abu Dhabi, Dec 25: All Emirates ID holders in the UAE may now communicate with the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) through an official account on Skype that does not break laws preventing Skype usage in the country.

According to a senior official, the software, mainly designed by Microsoft Skype Division for calling other people on their computers or phones, will help customers communicate with the authority round the clock for free, through instant messaging and a voice-over-IP service.

Amer Al Mahri, Director of Government Communications & Community, said Eida was now in communication with customers through 14 channels, and these are meant to keep applicants in direct contact, receive and respond to their queries, comments, suggestions, and complaint.

Al Mahri said “We have specified a special well-trained team to better communicate with customers locally and abroad on our official account: (EmiratesID_skype).”

The authority urges all customers to instal the #EmiratesID #MobileApp on their smartphones and tablets and share their experience. Earlier, the Emirates Identity Authority launched a new interactive initiative titled “Ask Hamad” through its account on Twitter. The initiative is aimed at boosting Emirates ID’s interaction with its customers, responding to their queries and feedback and solving their complaints.

“Our account on twitter (@EmiratesID) has become a certified source for all information on the authority activities and services, let alone being protected against hacking and viruses.”Al Mahri said the initiative was the first of its kind in the UAE where it will be launched on a weekly basis, noting that it stimulates the (Online Open Day) as an interactive mechanism to directly communicate with customers who use Twitter and follow Emirates ID’s account (@EmiratesID).

Al Mahri added that the initiative is in line with Emirates ID’s keenness to consistently communicate with its customers and interact with them through their favourite channels and thereby reach them through their smartphones and tablets in an innovative way through a cartoon character derived from the UAE heritage.

“Enhancing Emirates ID presence on social media channels comes in line with its strategic plan 2010-2013 which focuses on developing the level of services provided to customers towards achieving their satisfaction. Al Mahri pointed out that in mid-2012, Emirates ID launched a Twitter account under the name @EmiratesID_Help as an additional interactive channel with the public besides its official channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Emirates Identity Authority has affirmed the legality of using its account on Skype (EmiratesID_skype). Al Mahri told Khaleej Times on Tuesday that they contacted the concerned organisations and got permission for creating our Skype account which is based on computer or smartphone communication, and needs internet access.

He said though the Skype Call service was banned by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the chat-based, and there is no phone or mobile number to communicate with the public through their skype account.

“There is no landline or mobile phone number to communicate through this Skype account through which Skype Call is not accessible for being banned in the country.”

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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