Hastily scheduling biometrics appointmentsAs the registration deadline for May ends, people in Kuwait are rushing to schedule appointments in order to provide their biometric data. With 400,000 left to go, two million citizens and foreign nationals have already submitted their biometric data. When Mohammad Qanbar accompanied his maid for her biometrics to expedite her visa renewal, he told Kuwait Times that the procedure went smoothly and was well-organized. He also expressed satisfaction with the staff’s efficiency.

Because he is illiterate and finds it difficult to get an appointment, Hamdy Aboeldahab asked a resident of his building for assistance. “It was awkward to ask a stranger to do something for me, but I had no choice because it was so hard to follow up on appointments. It took over a month to find someone who could make the appointment, he said.

Owing to the challenge of obtaining appointments, some people, with differing degrees of success, arrive without one. Ahmed Adel expressed his surprise that no one had asked about the appointment he had previously made through the Sahel app, despite having to wait an hour for his turn to arrive at the personal identification department. Azzam Abdulrahim followed the correct procedures to register his biometrics, but his wife went into the Avenues Mall biometrics booth without an appointment.

Without an appointment, Amer Mina was also able to submit his biometrics, but only after spending four hours standing in a biometrics center. “I went to one of the biometrics centers last week because I was sick of checking the Sahel app and the (Meta) appointments website. After four hours, they agreed to let me in without an appointment. I completed the task that was bothering me in this manner,” he said.

Reem Al-Houli reported that she successfully registered her fingerprints at the airport. “An employee informed me that there is no scanning at the airport and refused to give me directions. However, I persisted and asked another worker, who informed me that Hall 2 is where scanning is available. It was worthwhile despite the lengthy line and my tardiness in retrieving my bags, she told Kuwait Times.

Regarding Rima Lotfy, she had to schedule new appointments for herself and her family because the National Assembly election caused all of the biometrics appointments she had scheduled to be canceled in early April. When asked about the best ways to find availability, Lotfy replied that she had been attempting to schedule an appointment for months. However, during Ramadan, she learned that reservations opened up right before iftar, so she promptly rescheduled her appointments.

A week ago, Abo Ali claimed to have found an appointment for both himself and his father. “I discovered that if you visit the Meta website after midnight, you can schedule appointments,” he disclosed. People can reserve a time slot five minutes prior to the hour, as noted by Khaled Hassan. He clarified, “For instance, if you want to schedule an appointment at six, go to the website at 5:55 and look for the appropriate time.” Since there are typically only one or two appointments available—primarily in Jahra and Umm Al-Haiman—the key is to move quickly.