Dozens of Indian expatriates gathered before dawn on Wednesday at the Alhind Tours & Travels center in Bur Dubai, marking a significant shift after weeks of anxiety regarding passport and consular services. For many, like Sharjah resident Adeepa, who urgently needed to travel home to care for her ailing father, the restoration of these outsourced services came as a massive relief. After failing to secure an appointment directly through the Indian Consulate, Adeepa and her husband were among the first to successfully book a slot online, queuing outside the UW Mall facility well before the sun rose to ensure their paperwork was processed.

The demand for these services has been overwhelming, with nearly 2,000 appointment slots snapped up almost immediately after the announcement. To manage the influx, Alhind is releasing new daily availability at 9 am and 9 pm, aiming for a streamlined 30-minute turnaround per applicant without any premium service tiers. The expansive 12,000-square-foot facility is now fully operational with 75 dedicated counters, including specialized stations for people of determination. As the mission transitions away from handling these tasks directly—a practice it had briefly resumed for the first time in 17 years—the Alhind center stands ready to clear the massive backlog created during the peak summer travel season.