Bunts UAE conducts blood donation camp

naeem@coastaldigest.com (Ramesh S Bhandari)

May 6, 2012

Dubai, May 6: Bunts UAE this year successfully conducted a ‘Blood Donation’ Camp at Latifa Hospital, Dubai on May 4, 2012 Friday with record number of donors’ participation.

Sudhakar Alva the main man behind this camp thanked the authorities for being tolerant and supportive in the camp and promised more contribution to the Blood Bank from all the Indian Communities living in UAE. The Donors poured in great numbers from various parts of UAE into Lathifa Hospital enthusiastically for this great cause. It was also great to see Presidents and Office Bearers of most of the regional Community Associations of Karnataka gathered in one place for this noble cause. A record was created with more than 100 participants.

As per the Dubai Blood Donation Centre (DBDC), the need for blood is ongoing and must be met every day. The demand for blood is growing faster than the collection rate and DBDC has been requested to have an instant response to the rapid growth in blood demand which is obviously proportionate to the fast growing population of the city along with healthcare facilities. DBDC is the only blood supplier in Dubai. Its services extend to Thalassemia patients (Thalassemia Center at Al Wasl Hospital), road accident and burn victims (Trauma Centre at Rashid Hospital), patients with neonates and maternity health complications (Lathifa Hospital), cases diagnosed with cancer or scheduled for open heart operations (Dubai Hospital) as well as to all private health facilities within Dubai that are entitled for transfusion services.

The Members volunteered along with hospital authorities were busy welcoming donors and filling up the required forms, examining blood samples and getting ready for the extraction of blood all with smiles on their face. They were issued a ‘Donor Card’ exclusively as a proof of their support.

The camp kicked off with good numbers of Bunt's voluntarily taking part along with female members and youths. Other patriotic associations who have been willingly doing these types of blood donation camps are Karnataka Sangha Sharjah, UAE Amchigele Samaj, Ramarajya Khsatriya Sangha UAE, Padmashali UAE, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Gowda Samaja Dubai, UAE Bunts, Billawas Dubai & Northern Emirates, Billawa Balaga Dubai who have already recorded their names in the list of blood donors of India in UAE.

Bunt's UAE staged a breakfast stall with snacks, tea, coffee, fruits, juices at the blood donation camp was given a boost with the support and participation of prominent community leaders like Sarvotham Shetty of UAE Bunts, Lokesh Puthran, President along with Vice President Yadav Kotian and main co-ordinator of Blood donation camp in UAE, Bala Salian of Mogaveers UAE, Sudhakar Alva of UAE Bunts, Ravi B. Shettigar, President of Padmashali UAE, Satish Poojary President of Karnataka Sangha Sharjah, Anand Bailoor, Jagannath Bellare, Sudhakar Poojary of Billawas Dubai & Northern Emirates, Sudhakar Thumbe, President of Billawa Balaga Dubai, Representatives of Vishwakarma Seva Sangha & Shodhan Prasad of Nama Tuluveru UAE. Also were Ashok Belman of Gulf Kannadiga and many other prominent members of other well known associations.

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Good news for Indian expats in Saudi Arabia: Passport update now just a click away!

News Network

April 12,2025

Riyadh, April 12: In a welcome move for Indian expatriates and other foreign residents in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom has introduced a new online service that allows residents to update their passport information without visiting the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat). The service is available through the widely used Absher platform.

This initiative comes as a major time-saver for Indian expats, especially those renewing their passports, as it eliminates the need for lengthy in-person appointments and physical document submissions at Jawazat offices.

Who Can Use the Service?

The online update feature is available to expatriates aged 18 and above. Once a passport is renewed, Indian expats can log in to Absher (via their employers account), navigate to My Services, select Passport, and then access Resident Identity Services to update the relevant information.

A clear photo of the new passport must be uploaded. The system automatically extracts the passport number and expiry date using advanced digital recognition tools.

Before submitting, users are required to pledge that:

The old passport has not been lost.
There are no reports of absence from work.
There are no pending traffic violations linked to the resident's Iqama.
There are no security-related restrictions on the expat or the employer.

Important for Indian Families

If family members previously listed on the old passport have been issued individual passports, the online service cannot be used. In such cases, a personal visit to Jawazat is necessary to complete the update.

Likewise, if the passport is lost, the expat must report the loss and update information directly at the Jawazat office. Any misuse or incorrect submission will result in accountability under Saudi law, including potential charges of forgery.

Fee Details

To avail this convenience, a nominal fee of SR69 (including VAT) is applicable for each passport update request.

Why It Matters

With over 2 million Indians living and working in Saudi Arabia, this digital service is expected to ease the bureaucratic burden and save time for thousands of individuals who previously had to navigate crowded offices and long wait times. It also enhances accuracy and ensures smoother processing for both employees and employers.

Indian community associations have welcomed the move, calling it a step forward in digital convenience and administrative efficiency for expatriates.

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