In April 2025, VFS Global opened the doors to the World’s largest Visa Application Centre in Dubai’s Wafi City. This month, the premises has been awarded the LEED v4 Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) Gold Certification, a globally recognised benchmark for sustainable building practices developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
“Sustainability is integral to everything we do, and achieving LEED Gold certification is a testament to our commitment to creating efficient, environmentally responsible spaces. Earning this certification for our Dubai centre holds special significance as it is our global headquarters. This milestone motivates us to ensure that our flagship Wafi City centre sets the standard for sustainable operations, driving positive impact across our global network,” said Monaz Billimoria, Regional Head – UAE, VFS Global.
“At the U.S. Green Building Council & GBCI we believe that better buildings, communities, and cities lead to better lives. The success of VFS Global’s LEED v4 ID+C Gold Certification recognises the progress that you’re making in embracing sustainability in the built environment and serves as an example to others across the MENA region, United Arab Emirates and to the rest of the world! Your project’s certification in 2025, coincides with 25 years of the LEED rating system while also being one of the projects that contributed to UAE’s recognition as the TOP 10 countries for LEED in 2025, outside the USA,” said Deepthy K B, Senior Director, GBCI MENA.
VFS Global’s renewed, state-of-the-art premises at Wafi City has increased its customer service area exponentially. Spread across 150,000 sq.ft., it is the organisation’s first fully digital premises, from applicant tokens to signages within the centre, reflecting its dedication to delivering world-class facilities that meet international environmental standards in sustainable infrastructure development.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system, emphasizing environmentally responsible construction and interior fit-out. The certification process evaluates projects on a credit-based system, awarding points for implementing energy-efficient, resource-conscious, and sustainable design strategies.
About VFS Global
As the global leader in trusted technology services, empowering secure mobility for governments and citizens, VFS Global embraces technological innovation, including Generative AI, to support governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport, and consular services for its client governments, increasing productivity and enabling them to focus entirely on the critical task of assessment.
With a responsible approach to technology development, adoption and integration, the company prioritises ethical practices and sustainability while serving as the trusted partner to 69 client governments. Operating over 4,000 Application Centres in 166 countries, VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 528 million transactions* since 2001.
Headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, VFS Global is majority owned by Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, along with minority shareholders including Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation, Singapore based Temasek and UAE based Dubai Holdings.*Comprised of 332 million transactions by VFS Global and 196 million transactions by CiX Citizen Experience