Dubai Customs, in collaboration with the Secretariat General of the Executive Council in Dubai, held a briefing workshop on Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, targeting all business groups in the emirate, members of the Dubai Customs Consultative Council.

The event was aimed at giving the business community in Dubai an in-depth overview on the goals and aspirations the Emirate of Dubai has set for the upcoming seven years. In fact, it is an expression of Dubai Customs continued commitment to having its clients and partners on board, in all activities that aim to help them attain higher business efficiency and excellence.

The one-day workshop was opened by Abdullah Al Khaja, Executive Director of Customer Management Division at Dubai Customs (DC). Also present from Dubai Customs (DC) were Buti Al Jumairi, Executive Director of Human Resources, Finance and Administration Division; Saeed Al Tayer, Executive Director of Policies and Legislation Division; as well as Ahmed Kazim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence, and Edris Behzad, Director of Client Management Department.

The meeting was attended on the part of the Secretariat General of the Executive Council (SGEC) in Dubai by Aisha Miran, Assistant Secretary General, Strategy Management and Governance Sector; Mohammad Absi Halabi, Strategic Development Advisor; Farah Tawqan, Senior Economic Policies Consultant, alongside a huge audience of business delegates in Dubai.

Abdullah Al Khaja welcomed the workshop participants and extended appreciation to the SGEC for their invaluable efforts being undertaken to raise awareness about the Dubai Plan 2021 and engage all government, civic and business actors towards greater responsiveness and commitment to the ambitious plan and vision of our prudent leadership.

Dubai Plan 2021 builds on the success of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, and is inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to leverage Dubai into a world-class destination in all spheres, said Abdullah Al Khaja.

Launching the Dubai Plan 2021 in late 2014, His Highness stressed the importance of cooperation between all stakeholders to achieve the objectives of the plan, which basically targets peoples happiness and welfare through sustainable and systematic development of all sectors. The plan intends to make Dubai a sustainable economic model driven by innovation and productivity, and supported by the most business-friendly environment that is fully integrated within the world economy, he added.

The Dubai Customs Customer Management senior officer urged all business clusters in Dubai to step up their performance in order to take full advantage of the ambitious plan to turn Dubai into a pivotal hub of the global economy.

From her side, Aisha Miran thanked Dubai Customs for organizing this workshop to brief such an important target audience of business stakeholders on the main themes of Dubai Plan 2021. Dubai Customs is among the first entities to organize such meetings that build awareness of customers and businesses about the governments strategic agendas and objectives as defined in Dubai Plan 2021, said Miran.
She emphatically noted that this is not a government plan, but rather a roadmap for every individual living in Dubai. Each and everyone of us has to meet the goals and dimensions that are highlighted in Dubai Plan 2021.

The workshop included orientation presentations, facilitated by Dubai Plan 2021, on the framework of Dubai Plan 2021, which includes six themes that define and describe Dubai in the year 2021. These themes are namely: City of Happy, Creative & Empowered People; An Inclusive & Cohesive Society; The Preferred Place to Live, Work & Visit; A Smart & Sustainable City; A Pivotal Hub in the Global Economy; and A Pioneering & Excellent Government. According to the DP 2021 team, the plan primarily targets individuals and society to ensure that everyone living in Dubai has all the means of wellbeing and incentives for innovation and creativity, the essential pillars of growth and prosperity.

In addition, an overview of the economy theme of Dubai Plan 2021 was presented, including the main concepts that define the future of Dubai from an economic perspective. The outlook is to reinforce Dubais position as a key player in the global economy by enhancing its standing among the top 5 global hubs for trade, logistics, finance, and tourism. Milestones such as the hosting of World Expo 2020 and other initiatives including Dubai the Capital of Islamic Economy, Smart Dubai Strategy, and Dubai Government towards 2021, in addition to many others, will contribute to make Dubai a role model for the world.

Affirming its strong commitment to Dubai Plan 2021, Dubai Customs presented a short film highlighting its aligned strategic plan up to the year 2021. DC is keen to adopt the concepts and spirit of the Dubai Plan 2021 to continue improving the efficiency of its customs operations and procedures in such a way as to further boost economic growth in line with DP 2021 goals, and outstrip traders and investors expectations.

The workshop wound up with a panel discussion featuring Ahmed Kazim and Edris Behzad from DC, and Mohammad Absi Halabi and Farah Tawqan from the Councils Secretariat General. They amply answered a number of interesting questions raised by the participants, particularly with respect to the expected future impact of Dubai Plan 2021 on the local economy as well as business and investment environments.

Participants in the workshop were very content with this initiative from DC which put them in the heart of the governments future programs and plans. At the end, Executive Director of Customer Management Division Abdullah Al Khaja presented the delegates of the Executive Council Secretariat General with memorial trophies in appreciation for their outstanding orientation on Dubai Plan 2021.

It should be noted that Dubai Customs Consultative Council was established in 2009 with membership comprising representatives of different business groups in Dubai. The council underpins the principle of public-private partnership, being a direct medium of communication with clients and businesses that are utterly engaged in the processes of decision making and problem solving for the common good of both the local economy and community.