Dubai: A comprehensive centre that will offer the residency and naturalisation services for public around the clock, seven days a week , has opened at the Dubai International airport.
Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) said the centre, called The GDRFA Service Center at Dubai Airport, is located at Dubai airport at departures terminal 3. Gate No. 2.
"This centre is open to the public and will receive all residency and naturalisation-related transactions and issues around the clock during the seven days of the week," he told Gulf News.
The centre offers residency services, visit visa services, amendments of statutes, entry permits, fines, domestic helper visa, cancelations, and other services offered at the headquarters.
The centre was inaugurated on Thursday by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group.
Shaikh Ahmad said it is important that all departments work together to offer the best services and cope with the rapid development of the airport, which he said is expected to be used by more than 50 million travelers this year.
"It is important to develop the airport services and to work as one team," he said.
Major General Al Merri said the centre at the airport will be working also during weekly holidays and official holidays
Brigadier Khalifa Bilgobaa, Assistant Director General at GDRFA for boarders Affairs Sector, said the centre opened on a trial basis early this year.
He added that the centre will connect the public with the GDRFA headquarter. "It is open to individuals, companies' agents and to travelers too," he said.
He said that services at the centre include banking, typing, ID typing, and e-gate processing. At least 15 officers from the residency department are operating the centre at the airport.
"People can come to us even at 3am to renew their residency or to issue visa. This service will be done in less than 20 minutes," he said.
He said also public come visit the center to extend the visit visa or to pay the fine and Emirati's can visit the center to renew their passports.
"We are working on making people's life easy and we receive public's calls and inquires around the clock on 04-7075388 and on Amer service on 800511," he said.
He said the centre also can help public who have their residency issued form another emirate rather than Dubai.
"People who have their residency issued from another emirates we can help them in some services such as cancelation," he said.
Captain Essa Ahmad Shaheen and officer at the centre said the new centre is very close to people who are leaving or entering the country and some of those travels may face problems related to their entering or leaving the country.
"This centre is opened around the clock to help public. In the past some people have their travel canceled due to visa or residency problems but since this centre opened un official last year it sort out 99 per cent of the travelers problems," he said.
