Dubai Customs has intensified its efforts to facilitate travel and tourism at Dubai’s airports. The customs centres under the management of the Passenger Operations Department have efficiently handled over 22.139 million travel bags in the first half of 2023. This demonstrates the advanced customs services provided by Dubai Customs, which have significantly reduced the time required for travellers to pass through airports without any delays. This achievement is attributed to the customs centres’ development of inspection and scanning devices. These advanced devices, coupled with the inspectors’ expertise in interpreting body language, enable them to detect attempts to smuggle prohibited substances effectively. They ensure high efficiency through thorough inspection and monitoring, preventing any illicit items from being concealed in passengers’ luggage or hidden within their bodies.
Moreover, the Passenger Operations Department actively supports the tourism and travel industry during the current summer vacation season by complementing the “Dubai Summer Surprises” events from June 29 to September 3, 2023. This entails creating a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere to warmly welcome tourists. The customs centres, operating under the department’s umbrella, are committed to providing exceptional care and attention to Dubai’s guests and visitors. They aim to showcase the emirate’s distinctive qualities, as it offers top-notch family-oriented tourism services.
‘Dubai Summer Surprises’ encompasses a range of tailored events and activities catering to tourists of all ages. Dubai Customs’ customs centres at Dubai’s airports ensure that tourists are immediately exposed to the emirate’s bright image upon arrival. This allows them to fully enjoy their vacations in the captivating landscapes of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in general. The warm reception they receive at the airports reflects Dubai’s spirit of love and openness towards visitors worldwide. The entire experience is immersed in harmony, cultural diversity, and the distinctiveness of the United Arab Emirates.
The Passenger Operations Department provides the Pre-Export Initiative to enhance customer satisfaction by attracting traders and cargo carriers of valuable goods. This service allows for the completion of re-export transactions and storage of shipments in advance before departure, utilizing the storage fees for customs warehouses. So far, 382 beneficiaries have availed themselves of the Pre-Export Initiative, which is currently being implemented as a pilot program.
The Self-Handling Service is also provided for delivering customs documents to companies around the clock through a self-service option using smart QR code boxes. Within six months, 3,601 clients have benefited from this service, which is available to users 24/7. Additionally, the department offers the Electronic Control System, an innovative and intelligent operational mechanism that links inspection departments with electronic systems and monitoring mechanisms. This ensures the efficiency of inspection operations and professionalism by utilizing electronic systems and skilled personnel for data analysis, aiming to achieve quality and efficiency in outputs with minimal negative incidents.
Ibrahim Al Kamali, Director of the Passenger Operations Department at Dubai Customs, stated that within Dubai Customs’ 2021-2026 plan, the Passenger Operations Department plays a crucial role in facilitating customs procedures for travellers, ensuring their satisfaction, providing optimal reception, and enhancing the services offered to them. This reflects the civilized image of the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai while enhancing Dubai’s reputation as a tourism and business capital. Continuous efforts are being made to ensure the smooth flow of travellers in Dubai’s airports and to protect the community by controlling narcotics and prohibited substances.
He added that the Passenger Operations Department provides travellers with the Customs Guide to familiarize them with the items they must declare when travelling. This includes personal luggage and gifts. The available guide on the department’s website clarifies prohibited items and anything that contradicts the laws, procedures of the country, and the unified law. On the other hand, restricted items passengers carry with them require approvals from relevant authorities, such as medicines, agricultural seedlings, printed or visual publications, cosmetics, food products, wireless and electronic devices, crewless aircraft, and others.
He pointed out that the development of smart customs systems directly contributes to accelerating the flow of incoming travellers to the country. One prominent example is the iDeclare program developed by the department to facilitate the movement of travellers and tourists. The application allows incoming passengers to make an early declaration of their luggage. It also offers the option to request transaction completion before arriving in the country, reducing the customs procedures’ completion time to less than 4 minutes.