Dubai: The Dubai Customs’ Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform has garnered extensive acclaim from the World Customs Organisation (WCO), with the organization releasing a detailed report on the initiative in multiple languages, including French, English, and Spanish. The report highlights the platform as a benchmark for digital customs transformation on a global scale.
According to Emirates News Agency, the WCO emphasized that Dubai Customs’ approach exemplifies how innovation in customs services and border control can be achieved through effective policies, robust partnerships, and the use of advanced technology. This acknowledgment coincides with the UAE’s burgeoning e-commerce and logistics sector, which is attracting increased investment and facilitating job creation in shipping, warehousing, fulfillment, and last-mile delivery. These developments align with national strategies to broaden economic growth prospects.
The growth in the volume of goods transported by sea and air in Dubai supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to establish the emirate as a premier global hub for logistics, digital trade, and economic expansion. Juma Al Ghaith, Adviser to the Director General and Executive Director of Customs Development at Dubai Customs, remarked that the WCO’s recognition underscores the transformative role Dubai Customs plays in trade and e-commerce. He noted that this initiative reflects the leadership’s vision of positioning Dubai as a forward-thinking city and a global center for the new economy.
Al Ghaith stated, “We are operating according to a comprehensive vision that anticipates the future and places innovation at the forefront of government priorities.” He further mentioned that the platform, leveraging blockchain technology, has set an international standard for cross-border trade solutions.
Atiq Al Muhairi, Executive Director of Customs Development at Dubai Customs, highlighted that the platform enhances connections between government entities and shipping companies, enabling quicker compliance with customs requirements and supporting digital trade through artificial intelligence-based data analysis tools. He pointed out that the WCO report recognized the platform as a model for utilizing technology to facilitate legitimate trade and stimulate investment, with plans to expand partnerships with global e-commerce entities.
Data indicates robust growth, with the UAE’s e-commerce market projected to reach AED32.3 billion ($8.8 billion) in 2024, and exceeding AED50.6 billion ($13.8 billion) by 2029. Dubai Customs aims to convert 20 percent to 30 percent of all low-value mail shipments carrying e-commerce goods to the platform.
Dubai Customs also noted that collaboration with multinational express shipping companies and small and medium-sized enterprises has broadened the platform’s reach across the region, bolstering e-commerce routes within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). These objectives are in line with D33, which aspires to double Dubai’s economy within a decade, enhance its standing among the world’s top three economic cities, and establish it as one of the top five global logistics hubs.
