Dubai Customs organized a ceremony to honor the innovative winners in the sixth edition of the "Innovator" competition for the year 2023. This initiative is part of the government department's efforts to instill a culture of innovation and excellence in government work by providing all the necessary resources and motivating human resources to develop innovative projects. The goal is to enhance Dubai's status as a global hub for innovation.

H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, highlighted that the United Arab Emirates is among the world's foremost nations in fostering creativity and innovation. Its experience in innovation has surpassed local applications and reached a global level, thanks to the continuous support from the wise leadership. These efforts have resulted in achieving a happiness rate exceeding 98% for services delivered through smart and technological channels 24/7. Technological advancements have allowed their systems to process over 80,000 transactions per day, in addition to automating customs procedures and facilitating support for Dubai's government plans in trade and tourism.

Dr. Hussam Juma, Director, Service Innovation Department at Dubai Customs, explained that the Smart Innovator Platform is an interactive system enabling Dubai Customs employees to engage in the development of innovative opportunities through constructive discussions. All employees participate in the assessment, voting, and interactive discussions regarding innovative opportunities. The most promising ideas are selected for further development and implementation in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

In the 2023 competition cycle, 400 innovative ideas were submitted by customs department employees within the organization. These submissions underwent a thorough review and evaluation, resulting in the nomination of 11 innovative opportunities by the innovation team and the services innovation committee. Three innovations emerged as winners: "Advanced Heat Detection for Prohibited Items" by employee Ali Issa Al Ali secured the first place, aiming to deploy sophisticated thermal imaging devices in customs centers through machine learning and artificial intelligence. These devices analyze thermal images to identify unusual thermal fingerprints, promptly alerting customs officials for quick inspections. Mustafa Kamel Mohammed secured the second position with his groundbreaking initiative, "Dubai Customs Green Seal," incentivizing companies to embrace sustainable practices by granting them the "Green Seal" upon meeting predefined environmental standards. The third-place innovation, "Risk Files Generated by Artificial Intelligence" by employee Mansour Al Dossari, enhances customs operations through an automated system powered by artificial intelligence, improving efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.