H.E. Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Director General of Dubai Customs, affirmed the Department’s keenness on providing merchants and the various business sectors with high quality services that can simplify and speed up clearance procedures at customs ports and harness obstacles that encounter business sectors, aiming at boosting Dubai’s image as an attractive destination for foreign investments in all fields and nurturing its commercial and economic relations with all world countries.
This came during the meeting that took place on Wednesday (January 16, 2013) and included H.E. the Director General of Dubai Customs and a joint delegation from the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai and the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce, whose members represent a variety of corporations and companies in different economic sectors.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr Butti welcomed the members of the delegation and commended the economic, commercial and investment cooperation aspects that link Dubai and Germany. He asserted Dubai’s interest to boost these relations by providing an environment that can attract investments, including procedures followed in protection of trademark owners’ rights and sharing of experiences in the customs business.
Mr Butti stated that the overall trade between Dubai and Germany amounted to AED 22.5 billion from January to October, 2012 compared to AED 21.7 billion during the same period in 2011, achieving a 4% growth.
Mr Butti mentioned the Department’s efforts in facilitating legitimate trade and protecting world products from piracy and counterfeiting. This has enhanced the trust of the International Community in Dubai as a safe destination for investment. He also indicated the positive return of the cooperation between Dubai Customs and the public and private sectors to preserve trademarks.
He listened to the delegation’s feedback and suggestions concerning the development of work procedures and upgrading services level which contribute to enhancing commercial relations between Dubai and Germany and remove any barriers that might stand in the face of the business sector.
Rene Micheca, Liaison Officer of Customs Affairs at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai, expressed his happiness with this meeting and commended the work systems followed at Dubai Customs and the facilitations it offers to various productive and exporting German sectors, which provide more robust opportunities for further trade and investments. He also pointed out to the importance of the role Dubai Customs plays in protecting IPR of Germen trademarks, stressing that these efforts are appreciated by the German Government and companies and contributed to enhance their presence in the Emirati market.
On her side, Ann Fredrick Paul, Head of the Legal Department at the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce, said that this meeting was part of the council and its members’ strive to widen the horizons of communication between the business communities in the UAE and Germany, share modern ideas and visions between them and create a better understanding of the needs and ambitions of the business community in the two countries, aiming at boosting partnerships between the two countries on one side and between the business communities in them on the other.