The offices of Alhind Global Services in various parts of the UAE wear a deserted look as the rollout of the Indian consular services drag on due to a legal battle. As of July 1, these offices should have been bustling with a flurry of activity. However, the issue is delaying the operator’s takeover of the outsourcing services.
A visit to the company’s CPV application centre in UW mall showed an empty office where staff ran simulations of token numbers and waiting times. Waiting chairs, as well as more than half the staff desks, lay empty at the largest of the 16 centres.
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In an earlier interview with Khaleej Times, a spokesperson for Alhind Tours and Travels had revealed that this particular facility measured over 12,000 square feet and has more than 45 counters. The centre, which was expected to offer both consular as well as attestation services, aimed to cut wait times significantly.
In Dubai, the company have one more CPV application centre in Dubai Investment Park (DIP). The other centres are located in Al Danah, Al Reem, Musaffah, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed, Al Majaz, Rolla, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Ras Al Khaimah. For the first time, there will be a center in Gayathi, located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi. This office is expected to convenient for the large number of Indians living and working around the Ruwais area.
Legal tussle
Alhind was awarded the contract earlier this year following a competitive bidding process in November 2025, after the Embassy of India announced it would replace BLS, which had been handling passport, visa, and consular services since 2011. The company was chosen as the lowest bidder among four shortlisted companies.
The transition has been delayed as a legal dispute over the contract plays out in India’s Delhi High Court. Two failed bidders — who did not make it to the final round — have challenged the decision, claiming they were disqualified from the technical evaluation stage without proper reasons. The court is expected to issue a judgement in the case soon.
Passport services
In the meantime, the Indian missions in the UAE have temporarily begun handling consular services directly on an appointment basis. Earlier, this was done on a walk-in basis. However, the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi have announced that prior online bookings have been compulsory to access the service since Monday.
All applicants must book an appointment in advance through the official appointment portal: book.passportindiauae.com.
The consulate has been seeing a huge rush in applicants due to the peak summer travel season, with over a 1,000 people turning up for consular services on most days.
Source: Khaleej Times