Dubai's top customs official has said that greater co-operation is needed between local, regional and international authorities to facilitate trade and sustain high levels of security.
“With the UAE’s positioning as a world-class transport and integrated logistics hub, it has become more important than ever to deploy effective screening and detection technologies at all borders to protect our societies from the perils of illegitimate trade,” said Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, director general of Dubai Customs.
He added: “Updating and improving screening techniques has become a necessity to face the challenges of today, which include the rising number of passengers and trade volume.
“Customs administrations around the world will seek to adopt the latest advancements in inspection in order to sustain security and protect societies from the perils of illegitimate trade without compromising the quality of service they provide to their clients.”
Musabih delivered the keynote address yesterday at the opening of the Cargo and Personnel Screening Conference being held in Dubai.
Certainly, trade volumes through the UAE, and Dubai in particular, are rising quickly. Dubai Customs is expecting to have process more than five million tonnes of air cargo in 2020.
“We, at Dubai Customs, adopt the latest smart technologies in inspection and risk evaluation to be able to cope up with the rising growth in trade and travel movement in the UAE,” Musabih reported.
He said that Dubai Customs provides the emirate’s various international points of entry with state-of-the-art technology in order to help maintain security and prevent illegal cargo flows.
“The process starts even before shipments arrive,” Musabih explained.
“The Risk Engine evaluates shipments based on information funnelled into it from different channels and decides the level of risk.
“Accordingly, 96% of declarations didn’t need any human intervention, and this was applauded by World Customs Organization which advised other customs administrations around the world to adopt it,” Musabih asserted.
