E-Paper
Sign In
Indian expats in Dubai queue outside Alhind passport centre after weeks of uncertainty
Within minutes of the announcement by the Embassy of India on Tuesday evening, almost 2,000 slots had been booked across all centres
- PUBLISHED: Wed 22 Jul 2026, 8:36 AM UPDATED: Wed 22 Jul 2026, 2:09 PM
Scores of Indian expats lined up outside the Alhind Tours & Travels consular service center at UW mall in Bur Dubai as early as 5.45am on Wednesday morning. Some who spoke to Khaleej Times said they were relieved that the outsource services were being rolled out.
Sharjah resident Adeepa needs to urgently travel to India to see her father who is undergoing cancer treatment. However, her residence visa expired last week. “We tried to renew the visa but we were rejected because my passport is only valid for five months,” she said. “We got the rejection on Tuesday afternoon and we immediately went to the Indian consulate.”
Recommended For You
Adeepa and her husband Saleem spent over three hours outside the Indian Consulate on Tuesday but were unable to get an appointment for passport renewal. “We were desperate and didn’t know what to do,” said Saleem.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“When we heard that Alhind had taken over, it almost felt like it was an answer to our prayers. As soon as we heard the news, my son logged into the system and got an appointment for 8.30am at the UW mall branch. We have been waiting here since 5.45am.”
The rollout of services by Alhind comes at the end of weeks of uncertainty which led to several Indian expats struggling to get their documents during peak summer travel season. From July 1, the Indian mission in the UAE had been handling passport and consular services directly. This was the first time in 17 years that the mission had done so.
Almost 2,000 bookings
Within minutes of the announcement by the Embassy of India on Tuesday evening, almost 2,000 slots had been booked across all centres, according to an Alhind representative. “A lot of people had been waiting for the services to be available,” said Mohammed Haris T., Chairman and founder of Alhind.
“We were fully ready to roll out our centres so as soon as we got the green light from the Indian mission, we opened the slots. We are expecting a huge surge in applicants in the first week.”
He added that more appointments will be released over the next few days. Slots will be released at 9am and 9pm everyday. “There will be no premium services,” he said. “Our aim is to give the same quality of service to everyone. We want to ensure that anyone who comes to our centre will be able to complete their service in 30 minutes and leave.”
At 8am on Wednesday morning, staff from Consulate General of India visited the Alhind center at UW mall to inspect the premises. Spread over 12,000 square feet, the center has 75 counters with dedicated counters for people of determination. According to Haris, it is one of the largest outsource centres of the Indian missions across the world.
Almost out of options
For another family, the rollout of services came at a time when they were almost out of options. “My daughter secured admission to study at a university in Europe,” said a mother, who did not wish to be identified.
“We applied for visa, but we were rejected because her passport was only valid for three months. Her tickets are booked for Sunday, July 26.”
She said that the family had spent the last few days running from pillar to post, even contemplating travelling to India to get the passport renewed from there. “We were planning to travel on Monday but that is when the Supreme Court ruling came. So we were hoping for a quick resolution. When the announcement came on Tuesday morning, we were so relieved.”
She said the family immediately logged in and got an appointment for Wednesday morning. “We applied for a Tatkaal service and came on time today,” she said. “We just completed the application process and have been assured that the passport will be ready in two days. You have no idea how relieved we are. We would have lost so much money on tickets and it might have even jeopardised her admission.”
