VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, has announced that beginning 1 January 2022, the company will follow all UAE federal government departments in adopting the new weekend of Saturday-Sunday for its headquarters in Dubai.
The UAE is the first nation worldwide to introduce a working week shorter than the global five-day week, a decision approved as part of efforts to boost work-life balance and enhance social well-being and business continuity. VFS Global is a Swedish-Swiss owned company headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and has operations in 143 countries across five continents. The new working week will better align the headquarters’ operations across its global network serving 63 governments worldwide, including the UAE.
Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global Group, added: “VFS Global welcomes the UAE government’s latest decision concerning the national working week. We are proud to be one of the first private sector organization to follow suit and look forward to our people reaping the personal and professional rewards from this visionary and historic course of action.”
VFS Global Visa Application Centres (VACs) will follow the local Embassies/Consulates guidelines. Unless specified by the Embassy/ Consulate, VACs will operate as per the current timings. Any changes in VACs’ opening hours would be communicated in due course.
About VFS Global
VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 3510 Application Centres, operations in 143 countries across five continents and over 234 million applications processed (since inception in 2001) as on 31 October 2021, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 63 client governments. 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 task of assessment.
VFS Global is majority-owned by the global investment organisation EQT. The Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation holds a minority stake in VFS Global. EQT is a global investment organisation with offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and a 27-year track record of consistent investment performance across multiple geographies, sectors, and strategies. EQT AB Group is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange. EQT manages and advises a range of specialized investment funds and other investment vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to generate attractive returns and future-proof companies. EQT funds’ investors do not influence portfolio companies’ decision making or strategies. Nor do they have access to private and confidential business assets or client and customer data.