Talent That Powers Trade: Dubai Customs Draws the Next Generation at Ru'ya 2026
3,182 Applicants and 213 Job Interviews During Its Participation in “Ru’ya 2026”
Dr. Abdulla Busenad: “We invest in national talent that leads the future of customs work and contributes to enabling trade and supporting Dubai’s economy”
Dubai Customs has concluded its participation in “Ru’ya 2026”, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from September 28 to 30, attracting 3,182 applicants through its exhibition platform and website, while its Human Resources team conducted 213 job interviews, as part of the organization’s drive to attract national talent and connect promising talent and skills with the current and future needs of customs operations.
This participation extends the strategic directions of the Dubai Customs 2026–2030 Strategy, which places institutional capability development and talent empowerment among the enablers supporting its objectives, enhancing the department’s readiness for future transformations and supporting its role in enabling trusted trade and contributing to the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy.
It also aligns with the objectives of Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda in developing human capital, building future skills, and leveraging advanced technologies, supporting Dubai’s economic ambitions and its standing as a global hub for trade and business.
National Talent Leading the Future of Customs Work
H.E. Dr. Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, visited Dubai Customs’ platform at “Ru’ya 2026”, where he learned about the process for receiving candidates and conducting on-the-spot interviews, and the efforts of the teams in attracting talent and specializations that match the organization’s needs and future directions.
Busenad affirmed that investing in national talent is a direct investment in the future of customs work and in Dubai Customs’ role in supporting the emirate’s economy. He said: “We invest in national talent that leads the future of customs work, with the knowledge, digital and analytical skills, innovation capability, and ability to harness advanced technologies, contributing to protecting society, enabling trusted trade, and supporting the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy.”
He added: “The future of customs work is not built by technology alone, but by talent capable of harnessing it and turning it into impact. That is why we are building an environment that enables national talent to learn, grow, and take part in developing services and operations and shaping future solutions, strengthening Dubai Customs’ readiness for the transformations ahead and keeping pace with the emirate’s economic ambitions.”
From Talent Attraction to Building Future Capabilities
Dubai Customs is using its participation in “Ru’ya 2026” as a platform to discover promising skills and specializations, understand the aspirations of the new generation, and align national capabilities with the transformations in customs work, amid growing reliance on advanced technologies, data, analytics, risk management, and customer experience development, alongside the operational and specialized competencies tied to trade movement.
The organization’s participation is part of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department platform, alongside a number of government entities, reinforcing the integration of government efforts to attract and empower Emirati talent, anticipate labor market needs, and bring national talent closer to career opportunities and pathways in Dubai’s vital and future-focused sectors, helping to strengthen the alignment of education and training outcomes with labor market requirements and raise talent readiness for the future.
Al Mehairi: We Are Building Career Paths That Begin with Attraction and Extend to Qualification and Development
Khamis Al Mehairi, Director of the Human Resources Department at Dubai Customs and Acting Director of the Dubai Logistics Academy, said: “Talent attraction is no longer just about meeting an immediate staffing need, but about building the capabilities the organization will need in the future. From this standpoint, we focus on attracting national talent with a high capacity for learning and growth, and digital and future-ready skills that enable them to keep pace with the evolution of customs work, help raise the efficiency of operations and services, and support the smooth flow of trade.”
He added: “We are working to make the journey of national talent at Dubai Customs an integrated pathway that begins with attraction and extends to qualification, development, and experience building, giving Emirati talent real opportunities to grow and contribute to institutional transformation and to shaping the future of customs work.”
Dubai Customs is reinforcing this approach through its participation in the Makkin initiative, in cooperation with the Dubai Government Human Resources Department and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The initiative aims to prepare recent graduates and strengthen their readiness to join the government workforce through training and qualification programs, culminating in opportunities for networking and direct interviews with government entities, thereby broadening the channels for reaching promising national talent.
Talent attraction efforts go hand in hand with Dubai Customs’ drive to develop national talent and prepare it for future career paths, strengthening a sustainable human capital system able to keep pace with transformations in trade, technology, and customs services.
Through its participation in “Ru’ya 2026”, Dubai Customs affirms that investing in national talent goes beyond providing job opportunities to building a generation with the knowledge and skills needed to help shape the future of trade, a generation that contributes to protecting society, developing services, enabling trusted trade, and enhancing the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy.