Dubai Customs held a high-level meeting with representatives of free zones in Dubai in which they discussed facilitating customs procedures, and presented the major services provided by Dubai Customs that aim to facilitate business, save time and cost and increase revenues for free zone companies.
The meeting also covered Dubai Customs' plans to support trade operations in Dubai free zones in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to raise the value of Dubai trade to AED 2 trillion in the coming period.
Farida Fadhil Al-Muaini, Acting Executive Director of Policies and Legislation Division at Dubai Customs reaffirmed the important role free zones play in boosting the national economy. She pointed out that smart procedures and services provided by Dubai Customs have enhanced the free zone work environment and helped grow re-export operations from Dubai, thus consolidating the emirate's global position as a main hub for trade and investment.
The meeting was attended by Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division, Dr. Abdullah Busnad, Executive Director of Customs Inspection Division, Rashid Al Sharid, Executive Director, Administration and Finance Division, Yousef Al-Hashimi, (Acting) Executive Director, Customer Management Division, Ahmad Al-Khuroosi, Director of Customs Tariff & Origin Department, Edris Behzad, Director of Client Happiness Department, Adel Al-Suwaidi, Director of Technical Support Department, and representatives of Jebel Ali Free Zone, the International Humanitarian City, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai Development Authority, Meydan, Dubai Commercity, and Dubai South.
Al-Muaini said; “Dubai Customs stands firmly behind the emirate's efforts to attract new investments into free zones in Dubai through providing world-class services such as authorization certificates which enable these companies speed up customs clearance of their goods, thus reducing the cost and time needed for such activities. Another initiative is the Virtual Stock Guarantee Facility, the first of its kind in the world, which enables Dubai-based free zone companies and customs warehouses to clear goods at re-exportation from free zones or customs warehouses through air and sea ports in Dubai."