Dubai Customs vows to extend help for developing foreign trade

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Gulf Today

In 2020, Dubai external trade made Dhs1.182 trillion, and the weight touched 100 million tonnes. Last year, exports grew 8% to Dhs167b despite the hard challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19. Imports reached Dhs686b and re-exports totaled Dhs329b.

 Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade visited Dubai Customs to learn more about their latest projects and initiatives in facilitating foreign trade. He was received by Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, along with executive directors and heads of customs departments.

In the meeting, a detailed presentation was delivered on the development of foreign trade in Dubai and the role of Dubai Customs in achieving prosperity in trade through the delivery of the best services and facilities to businesses. The presentation also covered the methods Dubai Customs follow to combat dumping and protect foreign trade from its hazards.

During the visit, Al Zeyoudi was briefed on the latest initiatives and projects, and the efforts taken to advance the sector following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which call for clients’ happiness, streamlined procedures and advanced services.


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Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade said: “Foreign trade sector is one of the main catalysts in diversifying and growing our national non-oil gross domestic product. Undoubtedly, Dubai Customs plays a pivotal role in this regard and in developing the customs sector. Our visit to Dubai Customs was very good and we saw closely the outstanding efforts done here to develop the sector and enhance the performance of foreign trade sector. Customs and trade services are at the highest level, and this reflects positively on growing the foreign trade sector and helping with a quick recovery from the covid-19 crisis.”

Al Zeyoudi added: “We closely coordinate with Dubai Customs to ensure best synergy between federal and local entities to achieve the national vision and leadership, and enhance our standing and competitiveness in line with the requirements of the UAE Centennial 2071.”


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Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation expressed his appreciation for Al Zeyoudi’s visit.

“Dr Al Zeyoudi’s visit reflects the close cooperation with the federal government and our joint efforts to enhance the UAE’s foreign trade sector. Dubai Customs works diligently in implementing the five year plan launched by our wise leadership which aims to raise the value of external trade to Dhs2 trillion.

“Dubai Customs continues its distinctive efforts in developing the foreign trade sector. They have completed around 5 million transactions in Q1 this year, and this is equal to twice the number of transactions for the same period in 2019, and 20% more compared to Q1, 2020 in which 4m transactions were completed. This couldn’t have been achieved without a sophisticated infrastructure and advanced AI technologies.”

On his part, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs said:

“The visit of Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi came in a good time as we celebrate the year of the 50th and the golden jubilee of the UAE. The foreign trade sector has contributed significantly to the big developments achieved in the last 50 years, and Dubai Customs played an essential role in this development. We are happy that we are moving into the next 50 years with full coordination with the federal government. To cope with the new trends in international trade, Dubai Customs launched the Cross Border e-Commerce. The innovative platform utilizes block chain technology to integrate and automate operations between Customs, Free Zones, logistics, and courier companies. It is the first of its kind in the region, and it aims to help the emirate become a global hub for e-commerce, and encourage e-commerce companies set their businesses in Dubai. This follows the leadership’s directives of raising the share of private businesses in local and regional e-commerce performance to AED24 billion by 2022 through the reduction of e-commerce cost by 20%. It is expected e-commerce will contribute AED12b to Dubai’s GDP by 2023.”

Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division at Dubai Customs delivered a presentation on Dubai Customs’ role in protecting the society and facilitating trade. He said 97.8% of customs transactions are automatically approved without any human intervention thanks to the great progress achieved in developing the Smart Risk Engine, which can specify the risk shipments with great accuracy. He also talked about the World Logistics Passport, which supports supply chains and boosts trade. He said Dubai Customs helps clients benefit the most from the Authorized Economic Operator, which can achieve savings for member companies in operating costs for up to 36%.

Ahmad Alkhuroosi, Director of Customs Tariff & Origin Department delivered a presentation on the implemented fees to combat dumping, and all Compensatory and preventive measures taken to tackle the issue. He gave recommendations on how to face these challenges through updating of the electronic systems used in calculating fees used for fighting dumping.