Dubai Customs (DC) has been awarded six prizes in the 74th Ideas America 2016 Summit, which was held in Atlanta, Georgia, September 13-15, 2016. Dubai Customs has received two gold medals, one silver, and three bronzes, besides certificates of appreciation and praise from the organizing body. The awards attained by DC in the 2016 competition overtook its pervious achievement in 2015 in quantity and type, when it received five awards at that time.
DC has been coronated with the highest category, the 2016 major idea, "Gold Category," for the suggestion "Customs Smart Tracking and Passage System (STAPS)" presented by Khaled Ahmed, senior manager of airport passenger terminal (1) at the department of passenger Customs operations. This integrated smart security system efficiently allows tracing suspicious luggage and enhances the efficiency of inspections and raises the capacity of detecting and tracking down suspected luggage. The device used in this system can detect breakdowns of the customs gates with high sensitivity and report them as they occur, which facilitates and streamlines passenger movement without any delay.
Dubai Customs has also won the second "Gold Category" for the 2016 idea of the year claimed for "Centralized Radiation Reduction System (CRRS)”, an idea created by Khalid Al Muadin, senior inspection manager at Cargo Village Customs Center. Al Muadin’s idea entails the unification of handling materials suspected of being radioactive through high-precision single device, which unlike conventional devices produces less radiation emissions, which reduces inspectors’ radiation exposure, and diminishes health, environmental and safety risks resulting from radiation being emitted by such equipment.
The silver award went to Hussein Al Fardan, director of Innovation Center for the category of Best Communication Manager in institutional innovation for 2016, in recognition of his efforts and achievements in the domain of innovation and creativity over the past years. Al Fardan has also laid a suitable ground required to take care of ideas and secure incubators to ensure the implementation of those ideas and turning them into real achievements for the sake of Dubai Customs and government work in general.
Sami Issa, intelligence operations manager at Customs Intelligence Department, has received the bronze category award of the 2016 idea of the year for "Rafed Service". This service is the first smart application for customs communication which enables employees, members of the public, and customers to safely report any customs violations or suspicious trade practices that would harm the economy and national security and stability.
Furthermore, Ahmed bin Lahej, former Director of Passenger Operations at Dubai Customs, has obtained the bronze prize of "Executive Director Supportive to Innovation Award”. Salem Al Kutbi, acting manager of Surveillance and Control Section of Passenger Operations Department, has won the bronze award for the "Best Ambassador of Innovation" in 2016, for his role in supporting the innovative programs of the department.
Certificates
Khalid Al Zarouni, an innovation officer in Strategy and Institutional Excellence Department, has received the (CASS) certificate pertaining to the "coaching of trainers" to manage international ideas system. In addition, a number of Dubai Customs employees taking part in the summit received specialized certificates for their positive participation, providing workshops on creativity and innovation, and educating participants on the stimulus and experiences of the previous successful mechanisms.
Expressing his happiness for obtaining such qualitative number of awards, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation, said, "Excellence is an integral part of Dubai Customs strategy which it is trying to achieve and make it a consistent approach, to meet the objectives the UAE National Innovation Strategy. DC sets priorities and plans to implement its strategy in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to make Dubai the world’s most innovative city.”
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem also pointed out that the directives of the visionary leadership lie behind the excellence attained by Dubai Customs which is always keen to perfectly represent the UAE globally and raise its name in the leading international forums. “This comes in appreciation of the UAE’s dazzling successes in the field of creativity and innovation, and organizational excellence, and in line with its strategy to support the spirit of innovation and creativity in all fields”, Bin Sulayem added.
International recognition
On his part, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Dubai Customs Director, praised the efforts of the winners who claimed the six awards, stressing that this excellence is a new global recognition of DC’s leading stature in innovation worldwide. Musabih remarked that DC proudly won the ‘Distinguished Medium Entity” of the 19th Dubai Government Excellence Program Awards for the year 2015-2016 , as well as the 2016 title of best government department in customers’ happiness.
The new achievement in the prestigious Ideas America awards came in recognition of Dubai Customs innovative initiatives, and its contribution to creating a work environment that is conducive to employee involvement in our fruitful innovation drive, encouraging them to continue to put forward worthwhile innovative ideas and projects .’
Appreciation
On their part, the winning employees expressed their happiness for obtaining the 2016 Ideas America awards and raising the name of the United Arab Emirates in global arenas. They dedicated their accolades to the leadership of Dubai Customs, which offers unlimited support in providing opportunities for the application of innovative ideas and turning them into practical development projects.