JEDDAH — The outsourcing agency extending consular services to Indian nationals will operate three new offices in western Saudi Arabia from Jan. 1, the Consulate General of India announced in a press statement. The new VFS Global centers will open in Jeddah, Abha and Tabuk, the statement said, adding that all three offices will be equipped to deal with passport, visa and attestation services that do not require the presence of a consular official. However, the addresses of the new centers have yet to be announced. The consulate will send a consular official to the center in Jeddah on a daily basis to handle passport and attestation services where personal interviews are mandatory. A consular official will visit the Abha and Tabuk centers every two months to deal with similar cases. The outsourcing agency will continue to conduct tours to provide passport and consular attestation services in various urban centers, including Jazan, Najran and Yanbu once every month, and Baha, Bisha, Qunfudah, Makkah, Taif and Madinah every two months, the statement said. A consular official will be part of the tours occasionally to handle important cases, it added. The consulate is also considering the opening of another outsourcing center in Jeddah. — SG
