In line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai, Dubai Customs has announced the launch of its new e-statistics system, which has been developed in-house to keep abreast with the technological advancements in the UAE towards embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director-General of Dubai Customs, kicked off the e-statistics system, at a launch ceremony held at the Dubai Customs headquarters in the presence of Arif Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC), alongside senior executives and directors from Dubai Customs.
The Director-General of Dubai Customs emphasized: “UAE is one of the most advanced countries in the field of information technology and high rated in adopting the modern technologies to effectively serve its economy. UAE is moving steadily towards the establishment of a strong digital economy while taking advantage of the countless positive features resulting from the process of digital transformation taking place in the country. The UAE’s digital economy contributes to its GDP by 4.3% with expectations to hit a rise over the coming period.”
"We are applying and adopting the latest AI technologies to enhance and upgrade our services and facilities to our clients. With the new e-statistics system, we can guarantee a higher quality of data provision to traders, investors, and decision makers in the government and private sectors," Musabih said.
Performance Indicators
"Dubai Customs has developed this smart system in-house relying on its staffs’ significant ideas and innovations to present a new model in the field of customs innovation. We are applying and adopting the latest AI technologies to enhance and upgrade our services and facilities to our clients. With the new e-statistics system, we can guarantee a higher quality of data provision to traders, investors, and decision makers in the government and private sectors," Musabih said.
He went on to say: “Dubai Customs is so keen to further develop the technology used in the preparation of foreign trade statistics due to its importance as a key indicator of Dubai’s economic performance and in the UAE at large.”
He also highlighted the vital role that the foreign trade statistics and data play as one of the main bases for investors to make strategic decisions to establish their their businesses and increase their investments in UAE while taking advantage of the development of the UAE’s international trading capabilities to kick off their businesses from the free zones and local markets to the regional and global markets. “All these factors drive us to develop our e-statistical system relying heavily on a state-of-the-art statistical database of foreign trade revealing the extent of expansion and growth in the re-export markets of Dubai's foreign trade and showing the success we have achieved in the development of trade. All of such accomplishments cannot be realized without the the informed guidance of our wise leadership and add to that Dubai Customs will have a precious opportunity to showcase its development efforts during Dubai Expo 2020 and its initiative to carry out the Dubai’s Silk Road Project.”
Development
The cutting-edge electronic systems of Dubai Customs used to collect and analyze trade and customs statistics provide a clear picture of how the national economy is performing. The e-statistics system generates reliable and highly accurate information covering all components of Dubai's foreign trade, which accounts for around 80 percent of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade.
Dubai's non-oil foreign trade in 2018 reached AED 1.3 trillion, bringing the total value of foreign trade from 2000 to 2018 close to AED 15.541 trillion.
Propelled by a 30 percent surge in the export value, Dubai's foreign trade recorded a seven per cent year-on-year jump to AED 339 billion in the first quarter. This features 7% growth rate with more than AED 23 billion compared to the first quarter of 2018.”
The Director of Dubai Customs concluded the ceremony by awarding strategic partners and the e-statistics system development team.
Features
The e-statistics system is the first electronic interactive system-of-its-kind in the country for the preparation of foreign trade statistics. It involves fast and automated data processing, verification and validation, and the generation of statistical reports. It provides accurate, transparent and integrated foreign trade data for all sorts of goods based on the Harmonized System classification.
As a secure, single source of statistical data, the system provides interactive dashboards presenting 7512 unified codes of customs tariffs adopted by GCC that empower decision makers to closely monitor the changing trends of foreign trade and therefore make informed decisions.