Europe Asia News

The State of Palestine has launched digital consular services in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates as part of its digital transformation efforts in public services. The services are planned to be rolled out at other Palestinian missions around the world in later stages.

According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, the new system allows citizens to access 96 consular services electronically, including powers of attorney, judicial procedures, authentications, declarations, passports and various documents.

A significant portion of consular procedures, from submitting applications and required documents to tracking transactions and booking appointments, can be completed electronically through the system.

The digital consular system is operated in coordination among the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy. The Interior Ministry operates the biometric passport system, the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry manages consular services, while the Telecommunications and Digital Economy Ministry provides the digital infrastructure.

The statement said biometric passport services are provided in 10 countries: Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Türkiye, Sweden, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Work is also continuing to launch an electronic payment system for consular services in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, the Palestine National Fund and relevant institutions.