In its first quarterly meeting in 2022, Dubai Customs Consultative Council (DCCC) highly applauded Dubai’s exceptional hosting of EXPO 2020 Dubai. 

H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation highlighted the great efforts exerted in organizing this global grand event, including Dubai Customs’, which helped with the clearance of the fair’s goods that are worth around AED1 billion. The total number of visits to the world's fair since it opened on October 1 had reached 19 million.

In the presence of Dubai’s business groups, members of the DCCC, Musabih said government services are becoming more efficient and integrated with the launch of “Services 360” vision by the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. 
Discussions and presentations in the meeting covered Dubai Customs’ performance in 2021. Around 99.6% of customs transactions are completed through smart channels, which helped increase the number of transactions to 24 million in 2021, growing 50% from 16 million in 2020. 

“This is getting the emirate closer to achieve its milestone of reaching AED 2 trillion in trade in the coming years. Trade is growing and indicators are positive. This reflects the significance of partnership between the public and private sectors in enhancing sustainable economic and trade development,” said Musabih. 
Abdulrahman Haidar, Head of World Logistics Passport talked about the World Logistics Passport, which Dubai launched globally at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020 following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The leading initiative aims at facilitating global trade and helping to reimagine how goods and services move around the world, increase resilience in global supply chains and remove the barriers that prevent economies from trading as freely as they might.

Salim Abdeen, Head of e-commerce at DP World, delivered a presentation on Dubuy.com; DP World’s first e-commerce project. The platform adds digital trading corridors to the physical corridors DP World has built across the African continent with its investment in ports, terminals and logistics operations. The platform enables global companies to find and serve new trading partners in Africa, opening up access to fast growing markets.
On his part, Malik Hanouf, CEO of Brand Owners' Protection Group talked about the new Federal Trademarks Law, No. 36 of 2021, which came into effect on 2 January 2022 and replaced the previous trademark law (Federal Law No. 37 of 1992). Brand owners will now be able to benefit from increasingly more cost-effective and easier means to protect, commercialize and enforce their trademark rights in the UAE.

Ertan Yetisener of Fruits and Vegetables Traders Group delivered a presentation on the fruits and vegetables sector locally and globally. He said the sector is developing fast to keep abreast with the national, regional and international economic trade, with certain factors determining that growth, namely the growth of population and the increase in consumption rates, and the growth of tourism. 

There are 2,495 companies operating in the fruits and vegetables sector in Dubai. Retail food trade accounted for AED 55 billion in 2019, and is expected to reach AED 75 billion in 2025, growing 5.3%. 

Yetisener said the UAE ranked 21st  on the Global Food Index in 2019 achieving a 10-place leap, moving from 31st rank in 2018, with ambitions of becoming among the top 10 countries in the future. 
At the end of the meeting, Edris Behzad, Director of Client Happiness Department reaffirmed the significance of effective communication with the clients. The DCCC is the first of its kind among customs organizations. 
“Dubai Customs ranked second on Dubai Government’s Customer Happiness Index scoring 91.8%, and the DCCC is an important communication channel serving as a link between the Government Department and its partners and clients,” said Behzad.