Banking experts have stated that updating passport data is a fundamental requirement for ensuring continuous banking services, especially when using the smart app, website, or conducting financial transfers. They confirmed to "Emirates Today" that having a valid Emirati ID is sometimes not sufficient, as some entities, such as courts or external bodies, request information about the client based on the name listed in the passport, for purposes like anti-money laundering. Commenting on complaints from clients about the "partial" suspension of their banking services due to not updating their passport, despite having a valid Emirati ID, they explained that although the Central Bank issued a circular allowing the ID to be used as the primary document in banking transactions, there are also clear instructions from the Central Bank on the need to keep all client data updated under "Know Your Customer" requirements, which include the passport. In details, banking expert Aataf Al-Harmoudi said: "The Central Bank's instructions require banks to maintain current documents and data for their clients, and the passport is a primary document that must be valid." She added: "The Emirati ID, despite being a primary and essential document for all banking transactions, has a limited scope, meaning that the client's name can sometimes be relatively long and does not appear in full on the ID, so the passport serves as a complementary and supporting document for the bank to better know the client, as it shows the full name." She continued: "There are sometimes communications and correspondence that require the client's name as stated in the passport, such as from courts or external bodies inquiring for anti-money laundering or other purposes," emphasizing that the valid Emirati ID is important but not enough for continuous banking services. She said: "Typically, banks give clients a grace period that varies from bank to bank, such as two or three months or more, and they periodically contact them to bring their updated passport, and after that, if the update is not made, some services, like those via the smart app or website, may be suspended until the updated passport is provided." On his part, banking expert Hassan Fahmi said: "Banks sometimes take additional precautions related to the client's own circumstances or nationality, meaning that the Emirati ID as a primary document is sufficient locally to open a bank account or obtain financing according to each bank's terms, but having complete client data, including the passport, residential address in the country, phone number, and others, are all essential for complying with the Central Bank's 'Know Your Customer' initiative." He added: "Keeping data updated is a requirement applied in all countries of the world, and the UAE hosts various nationalities, so it is important for banks to have a clear database of clients and their nationalities, as well as their legal status and more," noting that banks contact clients to update their data, especially their passport, a month before it expires and give them a grace period of one or two months after it expires before taking any action to suspend some services, like financial transfers or electronic transactions, and this period is more than enough for clients to renew their passports, either in their home countries or through their country's embassies within the state. Fahmi urged clients to pay attention to the remaining validity of all their documents and to renew them on time or in advance to avoid any actions that could disrupt their interests with the banks. The Central Bank issued a circular to banks in 2010, mandating the use of the Emirati ID as an official document to verify clients' identities in any banking transaction, but it also requires banks to meet "Know Your Customer" requirements, including keeping the passport updated, along with other requirements that provide sufficient clarification about the clients.
