Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi temporarily suspends passport services
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
ABU DHABI – The Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi temporarily suspended its passport services due to a technical fault, officials confirmed on Saturday. The sources close to the embassy said that the suspension is temporary and passport processing has been halted until further notice as technical issues are being resolved. The embassy stated that the disruption is purely operational and efforts are underway to restore the service as soon as possible. Passport services face disruption in Abu Dhabi Meanwhile, Pakistani citizens residing in Abu Dhabi have been advised to apply for passport-related services through the online system during the suspension period. The embassy did not announce a timeline for the restoration of the service but assured that updates will be provided once the issue is resolved. Earlier, the Pakistanis faced huge problems as dozens of them lost their jobs. The latest reports suggested that Etihad Airways abruptly terminated over dozen Pakistani employees working at its UAE hangar, with some reports alleging they were given just 2 days to leave the country. The speculations went viral, fueled by posts linking the move to broader regional tensions and concerns over job security for expatriates in the Gulf. However, amid the growing speculation, it turned out that these reported layoffs are not nationality-based action against Pakistanis. A user said an affected employees served the airline for more than 18 years before the sudden dismissal. The posts further allege that the workers were summoned to immigration authorities and instructed to leave the UAE within just 48 hours, raising alarm over the abruptness of the action. The claims quickly gained traction online, with several users and commentators suggesting that Pakistani workers may be disproportionately impacted and framing the situation as part of broader concerns about job insecurity for expatriates in the Gulf. Some posts even described the move as part of a gradual reduction of “non-