The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) unveiled a month-long outreach campaign called ‘Closer to You’, set to run from 5 January to 5 February 2026 inside Dubai’s Global Village theme park. The initiative will station multilingual officers and self-service kiosks that allow visitors to renew residency visas, apply for entry permits or clear overstay fines on the spot.
GDRFA says the pop-up counters form part of its ‘customer-first’ strategy to integrate government services into high-footfall leisure venues. The agency processed 2.2 million e-transactions in 2025 and wants to push that figure higher by meeting residents where they socialise, rather than requiring trips to central immigration halls.
![GDRFA Dubai launches ‘Closer to You’ roadshow, bringing visa services to Global Village visitors]()
For expatriates juggling tight work schedules, the roadshow offers after-hours access to services traditionally confined to weekday office timings. Companies can arrange group sessions for new hires to capture biometrics and Emirates-ID data in a single evening visit, potentially shaving days off onboarding timelines.
The launch coincides with record attendances at Global Village, which reported 42,000 daily visitors during New Year’s week. Mobility consultants predict similar service pods could appear at Dubai Mall and Expo City if the pilot proves popular.
GDRFA says the pop-up counters form part of its ‘customer-first’ strategy to integrate government services into high-footfall leisure venues. The agency processed 2.2 million e-transactions in 2025 and wants to push that figure higher by meeting residents where they socialise, rather than requiring trips to central immigration halls.
For expatriates juggling tight work schedules, the roadshow offers after-hours access to services traditionally confined to weekday office timings. Companies can arrange group sessions for new hires to capture biometrics and Emirates-ID data in a single evening visit, potentially shaving days off onboarding timelines.
The launch coincides with record attendances at Global Village, which reported 42,000 daily visitors during New Year’s week. Mobility consultants predict similar service pods could appear at Dubai Mall and Expo City if the pilot proves popular.
Source: Emirati Times
