On the 18th anniversary of the Dubai Government Excellence Program Award, Dubai Customs hosted a delegation from the program to highlight its journey and success story over eighteen years. The DGEP was launched in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who said This program is the force behind improvements of the public sector. It propagated a spirit of competition not known by governmental departments before.

H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, received the DGEP delegation, led by Dr. Ahmed Al Nuseirat, Coordinator General, Dubai Government Excellence Program. H.E. Ahmed Mahboob hailed the unique and diligent efforts exerted by the program over the years, becoming an example to be followed regionally and globally in providing world-class work approaches and criteria to boost work mechanisms within the government. Furthermore, Mahboob focused on the programs role in evaluating government agencies performance objectively as per best global practices, creating a fair competition for government departments.

In a seminar organised on this occasion, in participation of the DGEP delegation and attended by DC officials and employees, H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih reiterated that the unlimited support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to excellence and innovation programs in Dubai and the UAE in general incites all government departments to make UAE nationals, residents and visitors happy by providing them with world-class services that exceed their expectations.

Mahboob stressed that Dubai Customs is relentless in its pursuit to developing innovative systems and enterprises that benefit DC and its employees, as well as customers and the local and international suppliers.

As a result, the United Arab Emirates was named the most competitive nation in the MENA region and third globally in efficiency of customs procedures - based on DC procedures and performance, in the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum in 2014.
On his side, Dr. Ahmed Al Nuseirat thanked Dubai Customs for the initiative, allowing the DGEP team to showcase the programs 18-year long journey. Al Nuseirat further noted that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has set a good example in dedication, motivation and excellence for UAE young men, in addition to not settling for anything less than first place.

Dr. Al Nuseirat said the Dubai Government Excellence Program is the first integrated program for excellence in the world, launched 18 years ago. It has since transformed the way the government delivered its services in Dubai.

Dubai Customs employees give the first impression for visitors to the UAE. They help shape the global reputation of Dubai and the UAE through the international recognitions and acclaim they bring home, he added. Al Nuseirat further noted that Dubai Customs had notable achievements in the DGEP over the past years.

On the other hand, Ahmed Abdul Salam Kazim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at Dubai Customs, commended the success story of the DGEP and its significant role in leveraging government work. Kazim stressed that DC has implemented the program criteria, which had a remarkably positive impact on its staff and processes. Within this context, Dubai Customs has bagged many DGEP awards in previous years. In the 17th edition of Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) Awards for the year 2013-2014 alone, Dubai Customs was honoured with 6 distinction awards. In 2014, Dubai Customs received a number of elite awards in the field of suggestions, winning the best idea in clients service award at Ideas Arabia Ninth International Conference, as well as the Ideas UK Platinum Classification for the fifth year in a row with a full score of 100% in two successive years.

At the end of the seminar, Mahboob commemorated Dr. Ahmed Al Nuseirat, in appreciation of his efforts to the DGEP and for lecturing to DC employees.