DUBAI: At the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (APCS) held at Expo City Dubai, VFS Global presented its vision for the future of citizen experience — one that integrates technology, empathy, and collaboration to make cities more accessible, efficient, and human-centered.
The Summit, themed “Our Shared Urban Future,” gathered over 150 mayors and city leaders from six continents, serving as a key platform for exploring how public–private partnerships (PPPs) can redefine the relationship between citizens and governments in a digital era.
Technology with Empathy
In a fireside chat, Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO of VFS Global, emphasized the importance of responsible innovation and trust in public service transformation.
“Technology is the key to driving the next generation of citizen services – making them more user-friendly, seamless, and efficient while ensuring the highest level of security and integrity,” said Karkaria. “We also believe that the public–private partnership model can accelerate this transformation.”
He highlighted VFS Global’s collaboration with the Responsible AI Institute and the Dubai AI Seal certification, showcasing the company’s leadership in ethical AI deployment. Many of its AI-powered systems are now used by leading governments, including the UK and Schengen nations.
Showcasing the Future of Citizen Services
At the VFS Global–CiX Citizen Experience booth, visitors experienced AI-powered “phygital” innovations that simplify government-citizen interactions. Demonstrations included digital identity enrolment, e-governance tools, welfare registration, and document verification systems, all designed to make services more transparent and inclusive.
VFS Global’s projects across Brazil, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE reflect how responsible technology bridges digital divides while promoting local employment and skill development.
Building Smarter, Happier Cities
Through its AI Centres of Excellence in Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, and soon Berlin, the company continues to innovate with solutions like LIDPro (Location-Independent Document Processing) and Visa At Your Doorstep, making citizen services more convenient and accessible.
Operating over 250 CiX centres serving 150 million citizens globally, VFS Global is partnering with governments to co-create the next generation of citizen services.
These initiatives, the company said, mark a shift in Public–Private Partnerships — evolving from simple service delivery into strategic collaborations that drive accessibility, trust, and innovation in global mobility and governance.
