Dubai Customs Shows Dubai Forum for Government's Best Practices How it became the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity and Presents its Advanced Container Scanning System

Dubai Customs took part in Dubai Forum for Government's Best Practices for 2014, organized by Dubai Government Excellence Programme in the presence of 32 lecturers and experts specialized in the fields of institutional learning, excellence and creativity.

During the Forum, Dubai Customs presented its advanced technological experience which enabled it to win the title of the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity in the 17th edition of DGEP 2013-2014. Moreover, Dubai Customs presented the Advanced Container Scanning System which won the Distinguished Technological/Technical Project Award in the 17th edition of DGEP 2013-2014.

Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division said: Winning the title of the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity and the Distinguished Technological/Technical Project Award in the 17th edition of Dubai Government Excellence Program 2013-2014 reflects the progress achieved by Dubai Customs in applying an integrated system for customs development through smart applications.

The presentation submitted by Dubai Customs to the Forum about the achievement represented in winning the title of the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity, included a summarized explanation of the information technology development initiatives successfully applied by Dubai Customs through adopting an excellent way for customs development based on the international best practices in this field through which it achieved its objectives represented in facilitating trade, promoting security, ensuring commitment and integrating the commercial supply chain, Al Ghaith added.

Dubai Customs technological achievements include automating its external services at a percentage of 100% and its internal services at a percentage of 97%; saving more than AED 167 million due to the application of several information technology initiatives; saving more than AED 9 million as to information technology operational costs; and detecting seized items whose value exceeds AED 450 million. This greatly contributes in maintaining the national economy and community.

Dubai Customs relied on a comprehensive strategy for developing its technological projects based on the latest standards, internationally-accredited work systems COBIT 5 and the best practices applied in the information system and technology management, including ISO20000 and ISO27001. In addition, Dubai Customs strategy also included the application of best practices in the field of technological systems development and projects management, including CMMI and PMBOK, through adopting a methodology complying with DGEP standards for the category of the Electronically Distinguished Government Entity. So, Dubai Customs became the first GCC government entity to be evaluated as per the international standard issued by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Al Ghaith clarified.

Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Al Khaja, Executive Director of Customer Management Division said: The Advanced Container Scanning System, presented by Dubai Customs to Dubai Forum for Government's Best Practices 2014, is the first international comprehensive and innovated system integrating several technological techniques in an integral technological system using the state-of-the-art scanning devices. It is the latest international integral system for scanning and inspecting the containers and moving trucks by using radiological detection. It can scan 150 moving trucks within one hour. The System successfully reduced the cost of a container inspection at a percentage of 51% and the time required for a container inspection is also reduced at a percentage of 82%. This positively enhanced the customer satisfaction.

The Advanced Container Scanning System enables Dubai Customs to meet the continuous increase of containers capacity in Jebel Ali Port, as it is expected that such capacity will reach more than 29 million containers in 2020 when the Emirate of Dubai will host the Expo. This will increase the challenges confronting Dubai Customs in its capacity as the first line maintaining the safety of the community, in addition to its main role in facilitating the legal trade movement ,Al Khaja added.

This System has been designed and customized according to the requirements of Dubai Customs, to fulfill the huge amount of work in the Port. This System can automatically read the number of container, detect included Radioactive materials inside the container, and directly scan the included goods with x-rays when trucks pass without stopping them or affecting the traffic inside the Port, ensuring the highest level of security and safety for truck drivers and inspectors, recording all photos in a central database that can be revised any time when needed. This database is electronically connected with all customs data. The Project provided high capabilities for carrying out microanalysis of container photos. This helped in revealing many cases of illegal materials smuggling, Al Khaja clarified.

Its worth noting that the electronic connection between container scanning devices, Customs Declaration System and the other systems used in Dubai Customs contributed greatly in increasing the smoothness of customs inspection workflow, enabling inspection procedures to be finished faster than before without the need to unload containers.

This System is associated with the Risk Engine developed by Dubai Customs, provided with information from different resources. It can detect suspicious shipments with high accuracy, transmitting information to Risk Profile Department for evaluating and dealing with risks, and transferring some shipments to competent authorities or transferring them for inspection. So Dubai Customs approach in combating illegal trade is a highly efficient one, as about 84% from unsuspected shipment transactions (i.e. the one having no risks) are evaluated by Risk Engine and electronically cleared in less than 2 minutes without any human interference, starting from the time when client enters shipment data in Customs Clearance System, via the different channels Dubai Customs provides for its clients as smartphones, Business To Government (B2G) Channel and internet.