Biometrics and identity management for homeland security applications in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Identity is the collection of all characteristics related to an entity, be it a person, enterprise or an object.
Identities allow entities to be distinguished from each other. This is what makes an identity a key
component in several administrative, social and economic transactions. Identity management is
important for government, communication, commerce and just about any significant societal activity.
Government identity management systems are not usually static and are frequently changed with the
change of time and situation. A flexible approach is needed towards the addition of new features in
identity management systems. This paper analyzes different identity cards used for different purposes
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a case study followed by their deficiencies. Finally, a biometric
based identity management system is proposed referring to the successful and extendible identity
management system of developed countries.