Indian professionals form the UAE’s largest expatriate cohort, and many juggle demanding six-day workweeks. Responding to long-standing complaints about mid-week passport collection constraints, outsourcing partner Alhind Global Services on September 21 rolled out a dedicated Sunday window (10 a.m.–12 p.m.) at all 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs). The initiative follows Alhind’s July takeover of passport, visa and attestation operations from previous service providers after a protracted legal dispute. At launch, the company inherited a sizeable backlog; management now says it has cleared 100 percent of pending files and reduced walk-in queues by expanding to 45 service counters in Bur Dubai alone. For employers managing large Indian workforces, the Sunday option reduces absenteeism linked to consular errands—a non-trivial cost for construction, healthcare and hospitality firms that operate in shift patterns. HR teams can now map document renewal cycles to weekend hours, lessening disruption to project timetables. Alhind maintains its flat AED 19 service fee, which covers form filling, photos, copies and courier—an all-inclusive model that the Indian Consulate says helps deter unlicensed agents who often charge many times that amount. Consul General Dr Vishnu Vardhan Reddy also announced a forthcoming digital interface to further cut travel to centres, signalling a broader push toward e-government services for India’s diaspora. Applicants still need online appointments released daily at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.; however, the added Sunday slot is expected to absorb peak-season surges, especially ahead of India’s major festivals when travel demand spikes.
Source: Khaleej Times
