India CDA inaugurates first-ever India tourism kiosk in S.Arabia

Visitors to the Visa Application Centre submitting their applications can now learn more about the tourism offerings and highlights of India, guided by trained professionals from VFS Global, by visiting the kiosk at the time of their appointment.

 N. Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia formally inaugurated the new India Tourism kiosk at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Riyadh.

Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia said, “I am pleased to launch the first India Tourism kiosk in association with VFS Global, who have been our partners in KSA for the last 14 years. In addition to best-in-class visa services, applicants will now also be able to learn about all the wondrous tourism offerings of India when they visit this centre.”

Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer, VFS Global said, “We are excited to further strengthen our relationship with the Government of India with the launch of our India Tourism kiosk. I thank the Ministry of External Affairs for their constant and unwavering support and faith in our organisation and its services. As the service providers of visa and passport solutions here in Saudi Arabia, it is only fitting that we also provide informational services on all there is to offer in this bountiful country.”

VFS Global caters to over 7 million Indians across 9 countries - Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Thailand, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, France, and Australia, offering passport and consular services on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

The organisation has a long-standing association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, offering visa application services through a network of 13 centres in Al Khobar, Buraidah, Hail, Jazan, Jeddah - Mohammadiya, Jeddah – Hail Street, Jubail, Khamis Mushait, Jouf, Mecca, Medina, Najran, Riyadh – Al Hada, Riyadh – Umm, Al Hammam and Sakaka. VFS Global witnesses around 30,000 India visa applications per year at their centres across The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The organisation also offers passport renewal services for Indian nationals living in KSA through centres in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar, as well as outreach centres in Jubail, Buraidah, Hail, Mecca, Medinah, Jizan, Najran and Jouf.

In 2009, VFS Global introduced Scattered Tour services for Indians, extending its passport renewal solutions to applicants in towns and cities where there is no permanent Passport Centre, including Tabouk, Al Kharj, Al Qurriyat, Arar, Wadi Al Dawasir, Al Khafji, Hafuf and Hafar Al Batin.

One of the oldest civilisations in the world, India is a mosaic of multicultural experiences. With a rich heritage and myriad attractions, the country is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. From the lofty Himalayas to serene beaches of Indian ocean tourists are greeted by diverse nuances of Indian cuisines, faiths, arts, crafts, music, nature, lands, tribes, history and adventure sports.

India and Saudi Arabia strong bilateral partnership is witnessing blooming tourism collaboration as well. A number of Saudi citizens travel to India to yearly to explore the opportunities of cultural & historic tourism, health tourism and enjoy the diverse natural landscapes. A memorandum of cooperation has also been signed by India and Saudi Arabia to strengthen their tourism partnership. Their bilateral collaboration in tourism sector has projected a steep growth with the initiatives taken under the Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia.

Leveraging its robust experience in the visa application processing domain, and extensive network in over 140 countries, VFS Global provides governments with holistic, administrative solutions for processing passport applications and provision of efficient consular services. This, in turn, helps governments transform their public-facing services to improve quality, accessibility, and customer experience, while maintaining the highest levels of security. Saudi Arabia is one of nine countries where VFS Global offers passport and consular services for expats.

VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions. VFS Global is the trusted partner of 67 client governments, operating a global network with more than 3,400 Application Centres in 144 countries. The company has processed over 251 million applications since its inception in 2001. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport, and consular services for its client governments, enabling them to focus entirely on the critical assessment task. VFS Global has its headquarters in Zurich/Switzerland and Dubai/United Arab Emirates.

VFS Global is majority-owned by funds managed by Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Blackstone seeks to create positive economic impact and long-term value for their investors, the companies in which they invest, and the communities in which they work.