Dubai Customs Receives A Governmental Delegation From Abu Dhabi Customs And Vital Installations And Facilities Protection Agency

A delegation from Abu Dhabi Customs and Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency in Abu Dhabi praised the goods and boats inspection methods implemented at Dubai Customs as well as the highly qualified inspectors who work there.

On a recent field visit to Al Humariyah Inspection Port the delegation got the chance to observe the inspection procedures and the different technical support units at Dubai Customs including the Mobile Lab, the Customs dogs squad (Customs K9 Unit), the boats and the X-ray detector.

During a meeting at Al Humariyah Inspection Center, Mr. Rashid Saif Al Dhabbah, Senior Manager of Cargo Operations Sea & Jebel Ali at Dubai Customs gave a presentation on the different types of inspection methods implemented at Al Humariyah Port. He explained the nature of this port as it deals with creek dhows and small-sized iron ships as well as the procedures adopted to guarantee the legitimacy of the goods at the port. He stated:" Al Humariyah Port monthly handles 600 departing creek dhows and 600 arriving, while Al Khour Inspection Center deals with 1000 arriving creek dhows and almost the same amount departing. These two ports have maintained their traditional character while greatly influencing and serving the trade movement with the nearby countries. Therefore, inspection procedures implemented there are by no means less significant than those taken at any other inspection port in Dubai".

During the visit, Mr. Rashid Al Dhabbah and Mr. Saeed Al Sayegh, Director of Al Humariyah Inspection Center accompanied the delegation on a tour where they were given a demonstration of the regular procedures applied by Dubai Customs inspectors to check the creek dhows and goods. They also saw some of the support units that are used at all customs ports and crossings in Dubai; for example, the Mobile Lab which was internally developed at the Department and has several devices used to detect drugs, explosives, chemicals and radioactive materials. The Lab is very useful when inspecting suspected luggage or shipments, and it proved to be quite effective during many missions in different customs points. They were also able to see the X-ray detector that checks waste containers. Inspection techniques and the vital role the Customs Dogs Unit plays during the execution of inspection operations were also demonstrated to the delegation.

Mr. Rashid Al Dhabbah said:" This visit comes as part of the mutual cooperation and coordination between the governmental departments in UAE. Exchanging expertise, enhancing cooperation, sharing knowledge and information about customs matters are some of the issues agreed upon during the visit.”

Confirming the visit’s great benefit, Mr. Ahmed Rashid Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi said:" The visit was a very fruitful one as it introduced the inspection methods implemented at Dubai Customs which are not only renowned locally, but also regionally and internationally. It was agreed that a delegation of inspectors from Abu Dhabi Customs would visit Dubai Customs and conduct a joint training program. We also intend to maintain and strengthen our cooperation with Dubai Customs and the Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency in Abu Dhabi in terms of exchanging expertise, sharing knowledge, and the means by which the cooperation between Customs Departments and other Government Departments can be enhanced. "

“We are looking forward to making the best of what has been discussed and shown today in order to stay in line with the comprehensive modus operandi adopted by all governmental departments in the UAE," Mr. Ahmed Rashid Al Suwaidi added.

At the end of the visit, Dubai Customs, Abu Dhabi Customs and the Vital Installations and Facilities Protection Agency exchanged memorial gifts and souvenirs.

The Indian Business Community in the UAE Is an Important Partner in the Nation’s Development, Says HE Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman

The Indian business community in the UAE has been an integral partner in the growth story of the nation, HE Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre, told members of the Indian Business & Professional Council on Sunday."The development and success of the UAE and Dubai wouldn’t be what it is without the committed, dynamic and entrepreneurial contribution of the Indian community," Dr Omar told the lunch meeting.Not only is the Indian community in the UAE a significant partner in growth, but so too does trade between the UAE and India engage a significant share of the UAE economy, he said. UAE exports to India have grown at a faster pace than overall growth in UAE exports, while imports from India have increased by a factor of 30 between 1990 and 2008, reaching US$13.7 billion by the third quarter of that year."The potential of both the Middle East and India has yet to be reached in full, but I believe that the Indian community here in Dubai and the UAE can be a catalyst to help our regions realise their full possibilities," Dr Omar said."The infrastructure and business environment in Dubai and the UAE offers a fertile trade and financial hub from which Indian businesses have flourished and expanded into the entire region, while the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian expatriate community, as well as its links with the Indian economy, offer multiple opportunities for both sides to work together toward the betterment of all," Dr Omar said."In fact, some of Dubai’s biggest brands and commercial enterprises were founded by members of the Indian community in Dubai and have played an important role in contributing to the rise of Dubai as not just a regional, but also a global centre of trade, commerce, finance, education, healthcare, transportation and tourism," he added.Bilateral investment also is substantial, with India courting GCC capital and Indians representing the third largest source of investment into the Middle East, after the United States and the United Kingdom.Commenting on the enduring strength of Dubai’s economy, Dr Omar pointed to a new study of Indian and Pakistani schools by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority that showed a 2% increase in enrolment numbers for the 2009 academic year, which began in April."Given that these communities represent a large portion of the Dubai expatriate population, this is another sign that, despite the empty talk of sceptics, there is a continuing flow of real data showing the stability of the expatriate population," Dr Omar said. "We are confident that similar results will be found in other expatriate schools with the start of their new academic year in the fall."

Dubai Road Projects Will Meet Population Expansion

The Dubai Road and Transports Authority (RTA) has completed construction of 40 -50 per cent of the road projects in the emirate, revealed HE Matter Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
"With current achievements, the RTA has reduced the emirate’s losses caused by the traffic jams to Dh4 billion from Dh5.9 billion", he added.
He told Dubai TV in an interview yesterday that the traffic was not affected by the world financial crisis as the registered vehicles rose from 350, 000 to 1.1million, adding that the revenues of Salik (road toll) and the taxi revenues did not drop too.
"Easing of the traffic snarls felt by people in Dubai is attributed to the road projects and development of the public transport", Al Tayer noted.
He underlined that the strategic plan for transport development will help Dubai to meet traffic flow even if the population of emirate increased to five million by 2020, indicating that the target of the road network infrastructure being implemented in Dubai is to serve 8 million people.
  For more information:

Website: http://www.rta.ae

WCO Praises Dubai Experience In The IPR Field

The WCO has praised Dubai Customs business mechanism and procedures implemented in the protection of the IPR. According to WCO, Dubai Customs experience is a model that should be implemented at Customs organizations level around the world, stating that it is one of the most distinguished departments which has thoroughly fulfilled its international obligations.

Dubai Customs was selected to host the regional "MENA" IPR symposium emanating from the WCO which was held in Dubai from the third till the seventh of May upon an invitation from the Federal Customs Authority. During the symposium, all participants and lecturers had the opportunity to be informed about Dubai Customs experience as part of the WCO recommendation for all International Customs organizations to be acquainted with the best international practices of IPR protection.

The symposium included WCO experts, delegations representing IPR departments at the British, Japanese customs and private sector experts, and attended by MINA group members.

The symposium was held based on Dubai recommendations emanating from the fourth global conference on combating counterfeiting and piracy 2008, developing capabilities and enhancing Customs employees’ competency in the IPR field.

Mr. Yousef AlSahlawi, Executive Director of Legislation and policies Division, Mr. Abbas Makki, Director of Foreign Affairs Department and Mr. Yousef Ozeir, Senior Manager of IPR have received and welcomed the delegations and their valuable participation in this symposium "seeking to raise awareness on the dangers of counterfeiting and piracy and to unify efforts for preventing any form of trade mark infringement in order to reach the targeted objective which lies in protecting consumers and the global economy from those illicit operations".

The Customs delegations representatives have also watched a documentary about the IPR Department at Dubai Customs and the necessary measures it takes regarding trade marks’ infringement and the methods used to protect the trade marks owners’ rights as well as the society from the dangers of counterfeiting.

Mr. Yousef Ozeir has reviewed the electronic services provided by the IPR Department and provided the participating delegations with a brief summary of trade marks recording, the system’s goals and advantages as well as Dubai Customs’ vital role in raising public awareness regarding the IPR protection.

The field visit included the IPR Department, the Declaration Service Section, the Declaration Clearance Section as well as the applicable clearing procedures at the Cargo Village in Dubai Airport.

Dubai Customs Launches An Awareness Campaign About Thalassemia

Dubai – The Employees Relations and Internal Partnership Section in the Human Resources Division at Dubai Customs in cooperation with the "Emirates Association for Thalassemia" has launched an awareness campaign under the slogan "a future without Thalassemia=be screened to be safe" for five days, starting Sunday 3/5/2009 until Thursday 7/5/2009. This campaign comes as part of Dubai Customs keenness to increase awareness and participation in events related to both employees and citizens’  general safety and health, and as part of its strategy to take care of all society matters where it devotes a significant attention to health and safety issues. Dubai Customs always sponsors and participates in the emirate’s different social and health activities out of its role to achieve a comprehensive social development beside its major responsibility to boost Dubai’s economy in particular and the UAE in general. During this campaign, the slogan was displayed on all Customs computer screens; informative booklets and publications.  Various giveaways  items were distributed among employees and visitors identifying the disease, its different types and symptoms as well as its treatment and prevention measures in order to control it and contain it. Mrs. Feryal Tawakul, Executive Director of the Human Resources Division at Dubai Customs stated that "The Thalassemia disease affects a big number of people from all of the world’s countries and regions including the UAE where statistics have shown that it occurs at the percentage of 1 in 12 UAE locals, which makes it necessary to increase awareness in order to control it".  It is worth mentioning that Thalassemia is a hereditary disease which determines the production of hemoglobin becoming defective and leading to major child severe anemia in early infancy resulting from one gene which is inherited from the father and the other gene from the mother. Thalassemia can be divided into different types mainly "Alpha Thalassemia" and "Beta Thalassemia" depending on the defective location, whether it is in the gene responsible for producing the protein series of Alpha or Beta in the hemoglobin. It is known that there are hundreds of genetic surges causing the disease and the meeting of two defective genes will lead to the Thalassemia disease.  Thalassemia is transmitted genetically from parents to children. When one of the parents carries the disease, it might be mildly transmitted to the children (they will be carriers), whereas if both parents are carriers, there is 25% chance of the child being seriously infected with Thalassemia, in its severe and dangerous form,  

Dubai Customs Website Wins The Golden And Bronze Awards

Dubai Customs website has won the golden award within the government sector category for being the best website from the technical aspect at the Arab Countries level and the bronze award within the Arabic Government websites category on behalf of the "Pan Arab Web Awards" academy, during the opening ceremony held at the Burj Al Arab Hotel on Saturday, April 25th, 2009.Mr.Ahmad Mahboob Mousbeh, Executive Director of the Clients Departments at Dubai Customs has been granted the awards. He stated that "Dubai Customs winning those awards comes as part of its contribution in achieving some of Customs strategic objectives such as providing state of the art technical resources, and hence is the result of a thorough work and great efforts exerted in order to develop and modernize the Customs website as well as other sectors and the Communication Department. That hard work had inevitably a great impact on developing and modernizing the website and qualifying it for receiving such considerate awards at the Arab level”.Dubai Customs website http://www.dubaicustoms.gov.ae is considered one of the most important websites in the Arab world and worldwide, it is provided in both Arabic and English and offers within its links and different pages a wide range of information about all services being offered by Dubai Customs as well as laws and systems in force at Customs, Dubai, the UAE and the areas of relevance to Customs business. It also offers e-clearance (i.e. electronic customs clearance) through Mirsal System which is used in Dubai Customs.The portal also offers comprehensive information for travelers and visitors making it easy for them to know more about the procedures they need to go through whether financial, commercial, or otherwise.Wide-ranging news updates about the department’s events and activities can also be found on the Dubai Customs portal. That includes customs related, social, cultural, or even economic events which are regularly held by the department as it continuously strives towards excellence and ongoing development.Moreover, Dubai Customs gives great prominence to developing the IT sector within it, and was undeniably successful in becoming completely electronic which naturally saved its clients time and effort and made international trade transactions a lot more faster and simpler.Pan Arab Web Awards allocates special annual prizes to the best Arabic electronic portal in a bid to encourage Arab web designers and inspire them to be more creative to compete with worldwide professionals. The Awards also aim at enhancing the technological development of different sectors in the Arab world.The judges’ panel consists of a team of professionals who are mainly wed design experts and the competitors are usually evaluated as per international standards. This happens over two stages in order to ensure transparency and accuracy.