{
  "id": 10480391,
  "title": "Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi issues fresh tender for passport services in UAE: What it means for expats",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/indian-embassy-in-abu-dhabi-issues-fresh-tender-for-passport-services",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T15:48:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/indian-embassy-in-abu-dhabi-issues-fresh-tender-for-passport-services-in-uae-what-it-means-for-expats-1.500691094"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abu Dhabi: The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has released a fresh tender on Monday, opening invitations for companies to bid on providing consular, passport, and visa services at its embassies and consulate in Dubai. This new request for proposal, identified as Abu/Cons/415/08/2026 and issued on September 28, 2026, supersedes a prior tender process invalidated by a court order, which was managed by Alhind Global Services. Interested parties must submit their company profile by October 4 and respond to questions by October 5. A pre-bid conference is scheduled for October 8, followed by answer queries on October 12 and potential corrigenda on October 13. The final bid submission deadline is October 26 at 3pm local time, with technical bids opening at 4.30pm on the same day. Technical outcomes are anticipated on November 20, financial bids will be opened on November 23, and the contract is expected to be awarded on November 27. The winner will be determined through a two-tier evaluation process based on lowest financial bid, encompassing technical and financial aspects. The contract will be valid for three years, and services at the centers must commence within 45 days of the contract's signing, with all centers required to launch concurrently. The RFP is targeting 15 ICACs (Indian Consular Application Centres) in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Khor Fakkan, Kalba, and Ras Al Khaimah. A bid security of Dh756,700 is mandatory, although micro and small enterprises with registered businesses are exempt. The retendering process stems from a July 15 Delhi High Court ruling that overturned the technical evaluation and voided the previous tender awarded to Alhind Tours and Travels LLC. As the contracts of BLS International and SGIVS Global Services expired on June 30, the Supreme Court of India subsequently denied further interference. The Ministry of External Affairs has temporarily arranged for continuation of services until a new tender process is finalized. The Supreme Court mandated the Centre to adhere to its instructions within three months, emphasizing that these interim measures would not confer any exclusive rights. Alhind Global Services has been operating 16 ICACs in the UAE since July 22, following the Supreme Court's allowance for interim arrangements to sustain services. For the UAE's 4.5 million-strong Indian expatriate community, the continuation of services at these centers remains unaffected, barring a potential shift in the service provider if the new contract is awarded to a different company. This retender holds significant implications for the UAE's Indian expatriates, who rely on these services, with the Embassy and Consulate handling nearly 600,000 services in 2025, including roughly 400,000 passport services. Currently, Alhind Global Services is providing essential support services at the ICACs, including assistance with forms, photography, photocopying, and courier services, with a bid security of Dh756,700.",
  "summary": "Abu Dhabi: The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a fresh request for proposal (RFP) on Monday, inviting companies to bid for the outsourcing of consular, passport and visa (CPV) services at the Embassy and the Indian Consulate in Dubai, Gulf News can reveal. The fresh tender, numbered Abu/Cons/415/08/2026 and dated September 28, 2026, follows a court-ordered reset of the earlier process to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}