His Excellency Abdullah bin Damithan, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, has affirmed that Dubai Customs' Strategic Plan 2026–2030 embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and translates the targets of the Dubai Plan and the D33 Economic Agenda to consolidate Dubai's status as the world's best city for living, working, and investment, and as a leading hub for global trade and the world economy.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Damithan said: "This strategy establishes a new phase in Dubai Customs' journey, during which it transitions to a more impactful role as an economic enabler and strategic partner in achieving economic development targets, through innovative customs management that enhances global trade, contributes to connecting trade, markets, and supply chains, strengthens trade's contribution to driving economic growth, and builds a faster, more flexible, and more efficient business environment — supporting Dubai's targets to become the primary hub for international trade flows."
He added: "This vision is grounded in a firm conviction that the world today is not merely seeking a trade destination, but an ecosystem it can trust. The most competitive trade systems are no longer measured solely by the speed of their ports or the volume of their trade, but by the efficiency of their customs systems, their capacity to enable trade, enhance the resilience of supply chains, and instil confidence in the business environment. From this standpoint, the strategy makes trade facilitation a strategic pillar for enhancing Dubai's competitiveness through a smart customs ecosystem that anticipates change, simplifies procedures, reduces time, raises service efficiency, and empowers the business community to access global markets with greater confidence and efficiency. In parallel, Dubai Customs continues to develop an advanced security and compliance system built on risk management, innovation, and advanced technologies, ensuring the protection of society and borders, bolstering investor and stakeholder confidence, and cementing Dubai's standing as a global model for achieving the balance between trade security and trade enablement. The strategy also focuses on increasing revenues by enhancing financial sustainability and protecting revenue in support of Dubai's economy, alongside expanding economic partnerships with government institutions, international organisations, customs authorities, brokers, traders, and shipping and logistics companies — supporting the emirate's status as a global hub connecting trade, supply chains, and international markets, and enhancing the integration and readiness of the trade ecosystem to keep pace with global changes."