Under the patronage of H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Dubai Customs announced today, Sunday January 24th, the commencement of the 1st Dubai Customs Week, the first-of-its-kind event to be organized by a customs administration worldwide. The Week runs from January 24 to 28 and will concur with the International Customs Day celebrations on January 26.
Dubai Customs Week was set off at a special ceremony at DC head office, in presence of H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, H.E. Hani Rashid Al Hamli, Secretary-General of Dubai Economic Council, as well as a host of government officials and private sector figures.
The Dubai Customs Week is being held under the motto ‘Dubai Customs.. A World of Digital Innovations’, in parallel with the International Customs Day, which will be celebrated this year under the motto “Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement” to promote the digitalization of Customs process, and give the opportunity for Customs Administrations to showcase and further promote their use of ICT solutions to improve efficiency.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, H.E. Sultan bin Sulayem said, “The First Customs Week is in line with Dubai Customs’ drive to boost engagement and active communication with clients, whom DC strives to involve in the on-going development of procedures and processes to meet their needs while exceeding their expectations.
“The initiatives launched by DC to open more channels of communication with its clients have resulted in increasing DC’s client satisfaction which amounted to 91.2% in 2014 compared to 89.2% in 2013, according to a survey conducted by the Executive Council of Dubai Government in 2014. The rise in client satisfaction comes as a result of DC’s unwavering commitment to delivering value-added services and making good use of clients’ feedback,” Bin Sulayem added.
Outlining the activities that will be held as part of the Week, H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih said, “We want the 30 activities tailored as part of Dubai Customs Week to be two-way and engaging, and serve long-term and mutual interests for all stakeholders. We hope they bring us closer to the public and our clients and raise their awareness of what we do to achieve economic and social sustainable development.
“Our clients will be implicated and serve an active part in the week’s activities, by delivering lectures and facilitating workshops on best practices and experiences in administration and logistics. This kind of engagement is important to sharing knowledge and expertise between Customs and the private sector, in order to help enhance operational efficiency and corporate performance,” H.E. Ahmed Mahboob elaborated.
Dubai Customs strives to make the first edition of Dubai Customs Week a resounding success, by involving all stakeholders; active business and trade communities, foreign business councils, employees and the community including school students and the youth. Workshops and exhibitions tackling among others vibrant topics such as IPR and the adverse effects of drugs and misuse of restricted medications will take place at Dubai Customs headquarters, air, sea and inland centres around Dubai, major shopping malls, fishing harbours at Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, as well as schools and universities.
The 1st Dubai Customs Week is held with the platinum sponsorship of ATC Allied Transport and Texmas Textile Merchants Group, gold sponsorship of Eros Group, Danzas, Al Naboodah and Swadan Trading Co., and silver sponsorship of Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group.
The program of events for the DC Customs Week includes various lectures, workshops and awareness sessions for customers and the public across different locations. A total of 30 activities will be staged in a bid to bring all stakeholders and the community closer to the Customs work and raise awareness of the vital role it plays in keeping the society safe and supporting legitimate trade and economic development.
A short video depicting Dubai Customs’ achievements and initiatives was played at the opening ceremony. And DHL, the global market leader in the logistics industry, delivered a presentation on innovative work environments.
Bin Sulayem and Ahmed Musabih presented Hani Al Hamli with a trophy. At the end of the ceremony, the audience toured an exhibition, organised by Dubai Customs at its headquarters which showcased the history, projects and innovations of DC.