As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts towards digital transformation and facilitating government procedures for citizens, the “Absher” electronic platform has provided a new and distinctive service that enables citizens to change their first name or the first name of one of their children who are under 18 years of age electronically, without having to go to the trouble of visiting civil status offices, except in specific cases that may require this later in order to receive the new documents.
Steps to change your first name via Absher
The "Absher" platform explained via its official account on the social media platform "X" that benefiting from this service requires following four simple and easy steps, which are as follows:
- Log in to the beneficiary's account on the Absher electronic platform.
- Go to the "My Services" tab and then select "Civil Status Services".
- Click on the "Name field editing services" option.
- Select the "Change First Name" service and follow the instructions to complete the request.
Digital transformation and the Kingdom's Vision 2030
This service is part of a broader strategy adopted by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Civil Status Department, in line with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which focuses on digitizing government services and improving the quality of life. Previously, name change procedures required multiple reviews, the submission of paper documents, and were time-consuming. Today, citizens can submit their applications from the comfort of their homes, reflecting the tremendous technological advancements in the Kingdom's digital infrastructure.
Electronic Family Registry Services
Digital civil status services are not limited to changing names, but also include a wide range of services related to the family record, which aim to save time and effort, most notably:
- Issuance of a family record: A service dedicated to newlyweds to issue the document for the first time.
- Family record update: Enables beneficiaries to add newborns or modify marital status electronically.
- Issuance of a replacement for a lost or damaged document: In case of loss or damage to the document, a new copy can be requested and delivered by mail without the need to visit the branch.
Today, the “Absher” platform is one of the most important government platforms in the Middle East, serving millions of beneficiaries and providing hundreds of services that cover various sectors of the Ministry of Interior, which has directly contributed to eliminating bureaucracy and reducing congestion in government departments.
