Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The General Department of Airports Security at Dubai Police, in cooperation with partners, successfully secured 29,110,609 passengers travelling and transiting through the Dubai International Airport (DXB) in 2021. ُThe Department also secured 2,524,918 tons of air cargo over the same period.
These numbers were revealed during the annual inspection of the General Department of Airports Security, which was recently carried out by His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.
Lt. General Al Marri reaffirmed that the General Department of Airports Security is among the leading departments of Dubai Police in terms of security performance. "The Department operates with high work standards and possesses the adequate capabilities, techniques, competencies, and expertise," he added.
Lt General Al Marri said that Dubai Police's role in providing innovative, effective, efficient and timely security services at Dubai Airport terminals is inevitable as Dubai has always positioned itself as the world's number one hub for international passengers and retained that recognition.
He further pointed out that Dubai Police has always been keen on harnessing available capabilities and security expertise, developing security strategies to ensure security and safety, and providing high-quality services to partners, travellers, and airport users, per the highest security standards and practices of civil aviation security.
During the inspection visit, the Commander-in-Chief reviewed the Department's achievements and initiatives in 2021; The Department maintained a perfect score of 100% in meeting the national and international standards for airport security.
That score reflects the Department's keenness to sustain security work as per required standards and objectives and implement various initiatives, innovative programs, and distinguished policies that support security work. These include the Aviation Security Manual and Annex 17 issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the National Civil Aviation Security Program of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Airport Security Program issued by the Dubai Airports Company.
Lt. Gen. Al Marri was also briefed on the General Department of Airports Security initiatives in developing work systems, including the "Smart Employees Portals" initiative, of which 35 per cent has been completed, and the "Virtual Platform for Strategic Table Exercises" and the "Marshaler" initiatives, which 80 per cent of each has been completed.
Lt. Gen. Al Marri also reviewed the Department's KPIs and the most prominent statistics of its sub-departments, where all security departments of Terminals 1, 2, and 3, Al Maktoum Airport Security Department, Cargo Security Department, Guards Department, and the Security Audit Department achieved 100% in closing cases of non-compliance with internal and external security audit reports.
The Security Control Department also achieved 100% in work efficiency of security services across Dubai airports. Meanwhile, the Dubai Civil Aviation Security Centre, accredited by (ICAO) as the Middle East regional training centre, achieved 92% in the unique trained employees KPI when the target was 54%. In addition, the Administrative Affairs Department earned a happiness rating of 98.1% in the employees' satisfaction index in the Dubai Government's employee happiness survey.
Lt. Gen. Al Marri also reviewed the awards won by the Department in 2021, including the Commander-in-Chief Award for the best general departments in the elite category, the Commander-in-Chief Award in the best police experience category with "XOVIS" program, the Commander-in-Chief's Medal for the Best Supervisory Officer, the Commander-in-Chief's Medal for the Best Non-Commissioned Officer in the Field, the Commander-in-Chief's Medal for the Best Non-Commissioned Officer in the Administrative Field.
In the Emirates Airline Awards, the Department won: the Best Team Award for its" Safe Bags" initiative and the Best Employee in the Field of Aviation Security Award. The Department also won: two awards in the assessment of the Global Star Rating Systems for Services, the seventh international award for best practices (seven stars), and the eighth international award for best practices in 2022 for the (XOVIS) project. It also won the Supervisory Employee Medal in the Dubai Government Excellence Programme.