430 million government transactions, done from a phone

Before

Renewing an ID, transferring a vehicle, getting an exit visa, registering a worker — each of these used to mean a trip to a government office, paperwork, waiting, and a second trip if something was missing. For people in smaller cities or remote regions, getting a passport or iqama renewed could swallow an entire day.

Initiative

Absher (Ministry of Interior) consolidated civil status, passport, traffic, public security and business-side government services into three apps — Absher Individuals, Absher Business, Absher Government. The Nafath unified national identity lets users sign into 500+ government and private entities with one credential. Mobile-first design from the start.

Outcome

In 2024, Absher processed 430+ million transactions, including 33M exit/re-entry visas, 1.25M+ passport issuances, 1M+ driver-license renewals, and 26M+ business-side operations. The platform serves 28M+ registered unified digital identities — essentially every adult citizen and resident.

For citizens

A passport renewal is now under five minutes, from your phone, at any hour. A vehicle transfer doesn't require a notary visit. Trips to government offices have become rare exceptions instead of routine annoyances. For many Saudis, Absher is the single most-used app on their phone.