Passport services for Pakistani nationals have been temporarily suspended at missions in the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a major technical glitch disrupted processing systems, officials said on Wednesday.

The Embassy of Pakistan, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai confirmed that all in-person passport services have been halted due to system failure and maintenance issues.

No timeline has been given for full restoration.

In Saudi Arabia, the Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh, said passport operations would remain suspended on April 29 and 30.

“It is to inform that due to technical maintenance reasons, passport operations in the embassy will remain suspended on Wednesday and Thursday, April 29–30, 2026,” the mission said in a statement on X.

Dubai-based Gulf News reported, citing an official, that the outage began Wednesday morning and affected missions across multiple Gulf countries.

“The decision was taken due to technical faults and maintenance affecting system functionality,” an embassy spokesperson said, adding services could resume as early as Thursday if the issue is resolved.

Authorities have advised Pakistani nationals to avoid visiting missions for passport-related services during the disruption and instead use the online application system where possible.

Those unable to access digital services have been asked to await further instructions.

The embassy in the UAE said the community would be informed once services resume.

Separately, officials confirmed missions will remain closed on Friday, May 1, 2026, for Labour Day and will reopen on Monday, May 4. The holiday closure is unrelated to the ongoing outage.