A Passport Department official in Riyadh shows a sample of the Muqeem to journalists on Wednesday.

The Passport Department has started issuing the new identity card, Muqeem, for expats.

However, the department has denied a report on MBC.net that the card would allow expatriates to travel without visas to GCC countries, according to Maj. Talal Al-Shalhoub, spokesman of the department.

The department launched the new identification card at its headquarters here in the presence of Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya, director general of the department. It would be valid for five years but have to be renewed electronically yearly.

He said the card would contain a person’s name, number, date of birth, occupation, nationality, work permit number, religion and employer.

Al-Shalhoub said cards would only be issued if expatriates have made payment, have medical insurance and work permits. It would save everyone time because all processes are online; and its security measures would prevent fraud, he said.

There was no plan to introduce permanent cards for expatriates, he said.

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