Dubai Customs has inaugurated new Customs expansions at Dubai International Airport. The first-hand facilities include CCTV Operation Centers, Baggage Handling Systems (BHS) Customs Command and Control Centers at both Dubai International’s passenger terminals T1 and T3, as well as a Smart Customs Warehouse at T1 alongside high-end rest amenities for Customs staff.
HE Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs, Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), cut the ribbon to declare open the brand-new Customs developments. The official inauguration took place in presence of HE Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Dubai Customs Director, HE Mohammed Al Hai, Senior Vice Chairman of Dubai Airports, Major General Pilot Ahmed bin Thani, Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Ports Affairs at Dubai Police, Major General Jamal Belhoul, Dubai Police General HQs, Brigadier Ali Atiq Bin Lahej, Director of the General Department of Airport Security at Dubai Police, Mr. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, Mr. Jamal Zaal, VP, Terminal Operations and Cargo, Dubai Airports, Lieutenant Colonel Talal Al Shanqiti, Assistant to the Director General for Air and Land Ports Affairs, Directorate General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Mr. Abdullah bin Khediya, Head of Cargo Services - Cargo and Logistics, Dubai Airports, along with Mr. Sultan Al Joker, Adviser to Dubai Customs Director, Mr. Ahmed bin Lahej, Director of Passenger Operations at Dubai Customs, Mr. Abdulah Al Khaja, Executive Director of Customer Management Division, Mr. Saeed Al Tayer, Executive Director of Policies and Legislation Division, and Mr. Ahmed Al Falasi, Executive Director of Human Resources, Finance and Administration Division.
HE Sultan bin Sulayem extended his gratitude to HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, for his wise stewardship of Dubai Airports and his limitless support for Dubai Customs and all strategic partners operating in Dubai’s airports.
“On the threshold of hosting Expo 2020 and in light of the surging magnitude of Dubai and the foreseen increase in the influx of passengers to Dubai’s airports, the new expansions introduced by Dubai Customs at Dubai International would definitely increase our capacity of handling travellers and luggage more efficiently, and set us ready to accommodate the expected rise in numbers of visitors coming to the UAE through DXB over the next few years. We constantly seek to expedite and facilitate passengers’ movement with smooth entry procedures and excelling Customs services that ensure their happiness while maintaining highest levels of security efficiency. This smart combination will help us meet the goals of the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 in the fields of tourism, trade, security and societal welfare,” said Sultan bin Sulayem.
Dubai Customs, he added, had always been keen to upgrade and improve airport Customs operations, services and procedures in light of the huge strides the UAE is undertaking in the field of innovation and in line with its established reputation of good, proactive planning in order to meet up the surging demand on services
“The new Customs facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art control systems and inspection technologies to befit the world-class stature enjoyed by Dubai International Airport which stands as the UAE’s most vibrant gateway to date. Equal attention was also given to providing high-calibre Customs staff that work diligently around-the-clock to keep society safe against the infiltration of any prohibited or restricted imports,” explained Bin Sulayem.
The DP World and PCFC Chairman expressed appreciation to Dubai Customs employees working at the airport for their dedicated efforts, attested hospitality and their high sense of agility.
“The current Customs expansions at Dubai’s airports come in pursuance of the directives of our wise leadership towards elevating government services at all levels, so as to effectively contribute to making Dubai a favourite global destination for economy, travel and tourism. The recent developments of the CCTV Centers and BHS Rooms are part of our commitment to supporting our cadres working in the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic in 2015. We wanted to enhance our operational efficiency to meet the increasing trend of passenger growth in Dubai International, which saw passenger traffic jumping up from 70 million and 473 thousand in 2014 to 78 million and 14 thousand travellers in 2015,” Ahmed Mahboob Musabih said.
The Director of Dubai Customs highlighted that DC’s Passenger Operations is a key player in ensuring passengers’ happiness alongside other Customs centers and departments.
“The Passenger Operations works collaboratively with other government stakeholders in Dubai’s airports to ensure smooth flow of passengers especially during peak seasons. Whilst seeking to offer excellent Customs experience to inbound travellers, Dubai Customs will never compromise on the question of security, but will always ensure the highest levels of integrity, transparency and vigilance of all field staff in dealing with passengers, luggage and consignments amidst the economy and security challenges faced by the world and the region. For that purpose, Dubai Customs spares no effort to level up the efficiency of our passenger operations by developing innovative solutions and deploying the latest information technologies and systems, such as the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) which helps Customs identify high-risk air travellers for closer screening when they arrive in Dubai,” explained Ahmed Mahboob.
On his part, Ahmed bin Lahej, director of Passenger Operations at DC stated: “Dubai Customs had interacted with 38.7 million passengers coming to the country via DXB and handled around 41 million inbound bags.
“DC inspectors are oriented to maintain the highest levels of integrity, transparency and professionalism while dealing with passengers in light of the geopolitical aspects of the region and its increasing security challenges. In order for us to stand up to this task, we seek to adopt and utilize the world’s best practices and the latest technologies availed in the customs field,” Bin Lahej further explained.
He praised the inspectors’ strong sense of responsibility and dedication to protecting the community, describing them as the watchful eye over the wellbeing and security of people and the sharp-eyed proxy which stands against any attempts of smuggling or illegitimate trade.
Bin Lahej also underlined that the freshly-launched expansions are part of many new steps undertaken by Dubai Customs on its pathway towards stronger contribution as an active catalyst to the UAE’s progress and steadfast strides towards global leadership. He highlighted that the ease and comfort of Dubai Customs staff were taken into consideration in this development project, resulting in new resting areas for staff being set up at DXB passenger terminals 1 and 3. Such amenities were specially designed to ensure a positive ambiance and equipped with recreational facilities. This undertaking comes in line with DC’s commitment to ensuring employees’ happiness as per the directives of the wise leadership.
“DC’s CCTV Operation Room at Terminal 3 witnessed a complete revamping, making use of top notch monitoring technologies. The upgrade covered all monitors and computers within the room. The CCTV room is by far the beating heart of Customs Passenger Operations serving as the 24/7 communication platform amongst inspectors in terms of the identification of any suspected individuals or baggage and an important tool for risk management,” Bin Lahej said.
Due to the increasing numbers of passengers at Terminal 3, a new CCTV Operations Room was established. In addition, DC’s BHS Command and Control Room has also undergone extensive development to provide the perfect conditions for back-office staff to best perform their duties of screening, analysing and detecting suspicious luggage, and therefore reporting any suspicions to duty inspectors in the Customs zone at airport exits who would manually inspect any suspected bags to check their contents.
The expansions also included the Smart Customs Warehouse – the region’s first of its kind on Customs authorities level – capable of reducing inspectors’ work times, thus adding up more operational efficiency. The system can easily identify packages at the warehouse using a smart tag, which helps recognize the whereabouts of the package to be cleared in no time, and then release it upon the notification of the authorized personnel while preventing any loss or unlawful interaction. The system also triggers and alerts on irregular package delivery within the storing area, notifying the authorized personnel to take immediate action.