Nafath
Saudi Arabia's national digital identity authentication app. Face-scan login to Absher, Qiwa, Najiz, Muqeem, ZATCA, and Saudi banks.
Reviewed by the Wathim GCC Services Desk
On this page
Launched
2018
Operator
Saudi National Information Center
Cost
Free
Languages
Arabic, English
What is Nafath?
Nafath is Saudi Arabia's national digital identity authentication app, operated by the Digital Government Authority (DGA) on behalf of the Saudi government. It is the mandatory single sign-on used to log in to Absher, Qiwa, Muqeem, Najiz, ZATCA, Tawakkalna, GOSI, Mudad, and almost every other Saudi government portal, along with most Saudi banks, telecoms, and major private services. Login flows generate a two-digit numeric challenge on the requesting site that the user matches inside the Nafath app to approve the session, replacing SMS one-time passcodes for security-sensitive logins. Three core flows covered are biometric login to government portals, two-factor authentication for banking, and digital document signing for contracts. The app runs on iOS and Android and is tied to a resident's Iqama or national ID; without an active Nafath account, almost no Saudi e-government transaction can be completed.
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How does Nafath work?
Nafath (iam.gov.sa) is Saudi Arabia's national digital identity and authentication app, operated by the National Information Center and the Unified National Access Platform. It is the biometric login layer that sits behind almost every Saudi government portal and most banks and telecoms: open Absher and the login asks for a Nafath face-scan; open Qiwa to sign a labour contract and the signature comes from Nafath; notarise a document on Najiz and the consent is given through Nafath; verify identity at a bank or telecom for a new account and the KYC step routes through Nafath. As of 2026 more than 150 platforms integrate Nafath as the identity provider.
Nafath supports two authentication modes. The push-and-approve mode sends a notification to the registered device when a login attempt is made elsewhere; the user opens the notification and approves with face-scan. This is the standard mode for routine logins. The active-authenticate mode is initiated from inside Nafath itself, generating a number that the user enters on the portal to confirm session ownership. Both modes complete in seconds and have replaced the password-and-OTP flows that previously dominated Saudi government portals.
Three points matter operationally. First, Nafath registration requires the user to first hold an active Absher account because the Nafath bind uses the Absher password as part of the initial enrolment. Second, the March 2026 update significantly improved face-recognition speed, removing the friction many older users complained about. Third, Nafath is not optional for most government transactions in 2026; password-based logins for Saudi government portals have been largely replaced by biometric authentication through Nafath, so any resident or citizen who has not enrolled is effectively locked out of large parts of the government stack. Confirm specific portal authentication requirements before assuming a non-Nafath workaround.
For Saudi residents and citizens Nafath is the foundational identity authentication layer - face-scan login that unlocks Absher, Qiwa, Najiz, ZATCA, Tawakkalna, and most other Saudi government portals. The 2026 setup: enrol Nafath as the first step on arrival (10 minutes at any kiosk with the physical Iqama), bind to the face-scan, and from then on every government login is a one-tap face-scan from the Nafath app. Without Nafath, the rest of the Saudi government digital stack is materially slower because OTP fallback is the only path. Country context at our Saudi Arabia guide.
What changed and matters operationally in 2026: Nafath is now also the digital signature for Qiwa employment contracts, Najiz notarisations, Premium Residency applications, and a growing list of bank and insurance transactions; the face-scan binds to the Iqama, so SIM changes, phone changes, and passport renewals can break the enrolment if not handled carefully; the kiosk network for re-enrolment has expanded (most major malls and ICP centres have one). The most common failure is the face-scan against an old Iqama photo - residents with stale photos should plan for a kiosk visit.
Performance and uptime windows matter because Nafath sits behind every other government portal - if Nafath slows, the whole stack slows. The platform sees its heaviest load during the last 3 days of each Hijri month (Iqama renewal batches funnelling through Absher and Muqeem), the 25th-end of each Gregorian month (WPS uploads through Mudad, salary postings through banks), and during Hajj season when Tawakkalna permit verifications spike. Friday morning until early afternoon is the quietest window. During Ramadan the Nafath support desk operates 10am-3pm and 9pm-12am, so live escalations outside those hours simply queue. If Nafath itself is unreachable, password-and-OTP fallback still works on most government portals for emergency logins (Absher, Qiwa, Sehhaty all retain it), the Tawakkalna app's offline document display still surfaces the digital Iqama, and bank-channel KYC at Al Rajhi/SNB/Riyad/Bank AlBilad can re-issue Absher access without Nafath as a sibling-app fallback for critical transactions.
The 2026 reform calendar matters because four Nafath changes have landed since the original platform shape. First, the March 2026 face-recognition engine upgrade dramatically reduced the face-scan failure rate for stale Iqama photos - residents with photos up to 7 years old now succeed where the old engine failed at 5. Second, Nafath now supports a passport-only verification path for non-resident shareholders of Saudi-owned companies acting via Najiz from abroad - the prerequisite is a Saudi embassy verification, but it removes the historical need for a Saudi SIM during signature. Third, the integration with the new 5-year Muqeem card means Nafath enrolment is now cross-verified against the National Address registered on Wasil, which is silent if the address is stale. Fourth, the Premium Residency conversion flow is now end-to-end Nafath-signed across Qiwa, Muqeem, and Absher - a single face-scan covers the whole multi-portal handover.
What services does Nafath offer?
Biometric Login
Face-scan login to Absher, Tawakkalna, Qiwa, Najiz, Muqeem, ZATCA, GOSI, Sehhaty, Tawakkalna Business, and most other Saudi government portals.
Digital Contract Signing
Sign Qiwa employment contracts, Najiz notarised deeds, and many bank and telecom forms with the Nafath digital signature, which carries legal weight equivalent to a wet-ink signature.
Bank and Telecom KYC
Open a new bank account or activate a new SIM with Nafath as the KYC step; the bank or telecom requests Nafath authentication and the user approves from their phone.
Approval Workflow
Approve sensitive transactions (large transfers, government documents) initiated elsewhere by approving the Nafath push notification on the trusted device.
Multi-Device Management
Add or remove trusted devices, with the older device required to authorise the change. Loss of a phone requires kiosk re-enrolment.
How do I register an account on Nafath?
- 1
Have an active Absher account
Before installing Nafath, confirm your Absher account is active and you remember your Absher password. Nafath enrolment uses Absher credentials as part of the bind. New residents typically activate Absher first, then enrol in Nafath.
- 2
Install Nafath
Download Nafath (نفاذ) from the App Store or Google Play. Publisher is the National Information Center. The app is free.
- 3
Activate the account
Open the app, tap Activate, enter your Iqama or National ID number and Absher password, and complete the SMS OTP to the registered Saudi number. Create a 6-digit PIN to access your Nafath account.
- 4
Complete face verification
Enable face verification by completing the biometric scan tied to your Iqama or National ID. Stand in good light, hold the phone at eye level, follow the on-screen prompts. The scan takes about 30 seconds. Once verified, future approvals are a one-tap face-scan.
- 5
Use Nafath for all portal logins
On any Saudi government or partner platform, choose Login with Nafath. The portal pushes a notification to your device. Open the notification, approve with face-scan, return to the portal logged in. Some portals use the number-display mode where you enter a 2-digit code from Nafath into the portal.
Troubleshooting
The errors residents hit most often on Nafath, and the fix that works.
SIM must be registered to your Iqama. Move SIM at operator with Iqama and passport, then update Nafath registration.
Iqama photo likely outdated. Visit any Absher kiosk with physical Iqama; agent re-captures fresh photo in 5 minutes.
Re-install, register with Iqama and same Saudi mobile. Complete face-scan. If SIM also changed, kiosk visit needed.
Re-authenticate via face-scan. Sessions time out after 30 minutes of inactivity for security.
Some workflows require fresh Nafath signature even within active session. Tap the prompt; the face-scan re-validates.
Nafath enrolment may have lapsed. Re-enrol via face-scan; for persistent failure, kiosk visit.
Only Al Rajhi, Riyad Bank, SNB, and Bank AlBilad support Absher/Nafath re-activation through bank channels. Other banks: use kiosk.
Frequently asked questions about Nafath
For most government portals as of 2026, yes. Password-based logins have been largely replaced by Nafath biometric authentication on Absher, Qiwa, Najiz, Muqeem, ZATCA, GOSI and Sehhaty. Some public-tier lookups still work without Nafath, but any personalised transaction requires it.
Yes. The app and all authentication usage are free. Only the underlying government or bank transaction fees apply, which are unrelated to Nafath.
Yes for daily logins, as long as the bound device has internet. The face-scan and PIN both work over any internet connection. The initial enrolment and any re-bind after a phone change require the registered Saudi SIM to be active and reachable; many residents who let the SIM lapse during long trips abroad find themselves locked out and need to wait until they return.
The Nafath authentication on the lost device is invalidated as soon as you remove it from trusted devices. To restore Nafath on a new phone, install the app, attempt activation, and the system will either guide you through re-binding from another trusted device or send you to a kiosk for in-person re-enrolment with your physical Iqama.
Yes. More than 150 Saudi platforms, including all the major banks (Al Rajhi, SNB, Riyad Bank, ANB, Bank AlBilad) and telecoms (STC, Mobily, Zain), use Nafath as the KYC and authentication layer. Opening a new bank account or activating a new SIM typically routes through a Nafath approval.
Push mode: the portal sends a notification to your device, you approve with face-scan. Number mode: Nafath shows a 2-digit number on the app and on the portal screen and you match them. Both achieve the same authentication; portals choose the mode that suits their flow.
Yes. Nafath signatures carry legal weight equivalent to a wet-ink signature under Saudi e-signature regulations. They are used on Qiwa employment contracts, Najiz notarised deeds, certain ZATCA filings, and a growing list of bank and telecom forms.
Try again in better lighting with no glasses or face covering. If repeated attempts fail, the app prompts a kiosk re-enrolment. Bring your physical Iqama or National ID to any National Information Center kiosk or designated bank channel (Al Rajhi, Riyad Bank, SNB, Bank AlBilad) for re-verification.
Phone change only (same SIM): install Nafath on the new phone, register with Iqama and Saudi mobile, complete the face-scan - the same SIM receives the verification OTP and the binding completes in minutes. SIM change (lost SIM, new operator, ported number): the OTP cannot reach the new SIM until the underlying Iqama-mobile link is updated. Visit any Absher kiosk (420+ locations) or your bank's online banking portal (Al Rajhi, Riyad Bank, SNB, Bank AlBilad support Absher account activation including Nafath re-binding) with the new SIM active in your phone. The kiosk re-captures fresh face-scan and updates the mobile binding. Total time about 10 minutes. Plan ahead before travelling because Nafath is the gate to almost every Saudi government service - a broken Nafath enrolment effectively locks you out of digital service access until in-person re-enrolment.
The face-scan algorithm matches against the photo ICP holds on your Iqama file. Common reasons for repeated failure: the Iqama photo is more than 5 years old, significant weight change since the photo was taken, beard or hijab change, glasses on (try removing them), poor lighting (try a bright neutral background). After two failed attempts the app prompts a kiosk visit. At the kiosk, the agent re-captures a fresh photo and pushes verified status back to your account in about 5 minutes; the new photo replaces the old on file. The kiosk network includes Absher self-service kiosks in malls and government buildings; the Nafath app's 'Find Kiosk' feature locates the nearest one. After re-capture the face-scan works reliably for the next few years.
Five common causes ranked by frequency. (1) The app is on an old build that the 2026 server rejects - open the App Store or Play Store and update. (2) Device locale is set to a non-GCC country - Nafath verifies regional settings during launch; change locale to Saudi Arabia or any GCC country in Settings. (3) Cached data is corrupted from a previous failed launch - Android users can clear app cache; iOS users have to reinstall. (4) The bound Saudi SIM is no longer reachable (lapsed, ported, or replaced) - the app fails its trusted-device check on launch. Re-bind via the operator first. (5) The phone's OS is below the minimum supported version (currently iOS 14+ and Android 9+) - update the OS. If all five are clean and the app still does not open, force-close all background apps, restart the phone, and retry; the Nafath service occasionally throttles new connections during peak hours and a fresh launch can clear it. Last resort: re-install from the official app store and re-enrol with Iqama plus Saudi mobile.
Nafath verification fails for one of four reasons. (1) Face-scan mismatch against the Iqama photo on file - covered above; kiosk re-capture fixes it. (2) Passport mismatch - if your passport was renewed and the sponsor has not updated the new passport number on Muqeem, Nafath cross-checks against ICP's biometric record (built from the original passport scan at first entry) and fails the cross-check even when the face-scan succeeds. The fix is HR filing 'Update Passport Data' on Muqeem and waiting for the sync. (3) Iqama in renewal limbo - if the Iqama lapsed and the sponsor is mid-renewal, Nafath blocks verification until the new Iqama expiry posts. (4) Device tampering detection - jailbroken iOS or rooted Android devices fail the integrity check. Use a stock device. For all four, the universal recovery path is a kiosk visit with the physical Iqama and current passport; the kiosk verifies identity through alternative channels and pushes verified status back to your account in 5 minutes.
Nafath primarily uses push notifications via face-scan; SMS OTP is the fallback when the bound device is unreachable. SMS delays happen for four reasons. (1) The Saudi SIM is registered to your employer or a Saudi colleague rather than to your own Iqama - the operator routes the OTP to the registered holder, not to you. Move the SIM at STC, Mobily, or Zain with Iqama and passport. (2) The SIM is roaming internationally and the operator does not deliver short-code OTPs internationally on prepaid lines - switch to postpaid or use Nafath push (which works over any internet) instead. (3) The mobile network is throttling short-code SMS during peak hours (typically 8-10pm local) - wait 5-10 minutes and retry. (4) The mobile number registered in Absher is an old number that you no longer hold - update via a kiosk with the physical Iqama. The pragmatic fix is to stop using SMS OTP entirely and rely on Nafath push - re-enrol the face-scan and SMS becomes a fallback you never need.
What is Nafath's equivalent in other GCC countries?
Working across borders? These are the functional equivalents of Nafath elsewhere in the GCC.
United Arab Emirates
UAE Pass
The UAE's national digital identity single sign-on, used to log in to ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE, DLD, and 15,000+ federal, local, and private services.
Bahrain
eKey National Authentication
eKey is Bahrain's national single-sign-on digital identity, issued by iGA and bound to the CPR. eKey 2.0 (2024) added AI-driven eKYC and biometric login, covering 300+ government and private-sector services from bahrain.bh to bank onboarding.
Kuwait
Kuwait Mobile ID
PACI's biometric digital identity app that turns a smartphone into the legally recognised Kuwaiti Civil ID, accepted at banks, traffic stops, and government counters.
Service centres that file through Nafath
Nafath backs the in-person workflow at these branches. Each page lists the exact services that centre handles, fees in Saudi Arabia currency, hours and documents to bring.
Guides from the blog
Walkthroughs that use Nafath
Step-by-step guides for the most common transactions on this portal.
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Tawakkalna Still Shows Your Old Sponsor After a Qiwa Transfer? Here Is the Real Fix (2026)
Your Qiwa transfer is done, but Tawakkalna and Nafath still show your old sponsor and some services are locked. Here is why the app does not sync, how the Absher-Qiwa-Tawakkalna data flow really works, and the realistic steps to force the update.
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How to Issue a Power of Attorney (Wakala) in Saudi Arabia Online via Najiz: The Expat Guide for 2026
Issue a legally valid Wakala (power of attorney) in Saudi Arabia online through Najiz, the Ministry of Justice portal, without visiting a notary or court. Here is how expats with a valid iqama do it in 2026, why the wording matters, and how we issue it correctly for you.
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Absher Account Setup: Register, Activate & Fix Common Errors (2026)
Setting up an Absher account for personal immigration services takes 10 minutes online, but activation (the critical next step) often stalls. We walk you through both, plus fixes for every common error.
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