Covid: Pakistanis in UAE urged to use online services, book appointment before visiting consulate

Dubai - Consulate in Dubai will introduce an app for all consular services.

By Waheed Abbas

Published: Sun 21 Feb 2021, 1:38 PM

Last updated: Sun 21 Feb 2021, 1:43 PM

Pakistani residents in the UAE have been urged to increasingly use the online appointment system prior to coming to the consulate in Dubai for all consular services owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, an official said.

Ahmed Amjad Ali, Consul-General of Pakistan for Dubai and the Northern Emirates in the UAE, said prior booking would result in fewer people within the consulate’s premises and would help contain the spread of the contagion.

The Pakistan Consulate in Dubai was closed for three days from February 9 to 11 for sterilisation following the detection of some Covid-19 positive cases on its premises.

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“We’ve resumed our consular services and are trying to limit the entry of people in halls. We’re deploying additional staff to ensure that social distancing norms are also maintained. I urge the community members to book prior appointments for your own safety in a bid to avoid overcrowding on the premises,” Ali said.

He cited that there has been an increase of home delivery services of passports and identity (ID) cards during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’ve observed that an increasing number of people are opting for home delivery service for passports and ID cards. But still around 1,000 people are coming daily for consular services,” he said.

“We’re encouraging people to opt for the home-delivery option because these are unusual circumstances and we need to take care of our community members,” he added.

Ali revealed that more than 60 per cent of the consulate’s staff and their families have been vaccinated and the rest would receive their Covid-19 jab over the next 10 days.

“I urge all community members to get vaccinated for your own and loved ones’ safety,” he said.

The consulate seeks to introduce a host of new initiatives such as mobile application (app) and new website to help the community members monitor their applications on a real-time basis.

“After the establishment of a single-window operation for issuance of ID cards, we’re also working on starting a similar mechanism for passports in a bid to reduce the time that an applicant spends on the premises. We’ll also introduce a mobile app in the next few weeks, which will have all consular services. The public can find out the status of their application and also book online appointments in advance. The work on a new website is also in progress,” he added.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com