Indian embassy in Dubai to stay open during weekends, holidays till Dec 31

The Indian consulate in Dubai would remain open even on the weekends and public holidays from Aug 1 till December 31 to cater to the emergency needs of Indians here in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a media report said on Monday.

Dr Aman Puri, who took charge as the Consul General of India in Dubai on July 19, said consular services will be made available for those in need of emergency requirements such as passport renewal for emergency travel, the Khaleej Times reported.

"Starting August 1 to December 31, the consulate will remain open from 8am to 10am on holidays. We feel that the coming days are going to be tough and people may need our support, Puri was quoted as saying to the paper.

However, he said the decision to keep the consulate open all days of the week is also subject to review, depending on the situation.

Our colleagues at posts and missions (Indian) have always come forward in support of distressed Indians. Given our community here in Dubai is large, the needs here are large as well," he said.

So far, the consulate has repatriated 170,000 Indians from Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the report said.

Out of the 170,000, a total of 40,000 have flown out on the Vande Bharat Mission repatriation flights, and 130,000 have used chartered flights organised by private companies and community groups,he said.

Puri, who previously headed the Indian mission in Birmingham, UK, replaced former Consul-General Vipul.

The UAE has so far reported 56,711 cases of coronavirus with 338 deaths, local media reported.