Figures released by Dubai Customs showed that Hatta Customs Centre has completed 87.4 thousand transactions and made 538 seisures in 2022.

The Centre dealt with 78.6 thousand cargo trucks and 587 thousand vehicles last year.

During his morning tour to the Hatta Border Crossing, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director-General of Dubai Customs, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation pointed out the high quality services provided to clients have contributed significantly in facilitating traffic and speeding up the declaration process.

“Creativity at Dubai Customs has become part of the daily work routine within our quest to develop customs procedures and techniques at the local and international levels,” said Musabih.

He was accompanied in the tour by members of the senior management who viewed the smart systems used in the centre to facilitate trade and thwart any smuggling attempts.
Siyaj Buggy is the latest advanced innovation that has recently joined Seyaj Initiative, which was developed by Dubai Customs to ensure better control over the ports in Dubai.

The Buggy is used to search under trucks and vehicles when suspecting hazardous cargo. It can go through narrow places and take high quality 360-degree images and videos in a 30-metre range.

Dubai Customs attaches great importance to the development of truck scanning inspection systems to efficiently detect suspicious shipments and thwart any smuggling attempts.

“Inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who said government innovation is the basis for any development, and is the driver to shape the future, we equip the customs centres with the latest and most advanced technologies to facilitate trade and streamline passenger traffic,” Musabih added. “With this in mind, we set up a process to handle employees’ creative ideas, study them and turn them into projects. Creativity has become one of the five pillars of Dubai Customs Strategic Plan 2021-2026.”

Musabih pointed out that Hatta Border Crossing is a very important crossing for trade and tourism. The Crossing plays a major role in facilitating passenger traffic and trade between Dubai and Oman and the GCC countries. The Crossing played a key role in meeting the needs of the local market for food commodities and building materials during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Hamid Mohammed, Director of the Inland Customs Centres Management at Dubai Customs, said,”The importance of Hatta Crossing has increased recently, as the value of Dubai trade is growing noticeably. Our customs inspectors’ vigilance and dedication coupled with the smart systems in place has been crucial in curbing the entry of illegitimate goods into the emirate.”

 In line with the launch of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ADCCI) new strategy for the next three years, the Chamber has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD), and eBay, to support the private sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and enable it to reach its full potential.

The signing of the MoUs comes as part of the Chamber’s efforts to promote the growth of Abu Dhabi’s economy by empowering the private sector.

It reflects the Chamber’s role as a policy advocator, networker, and service provider, as part of its new strategy.

Mohamed Helal Al Mheiri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, stated, “The Chamber is proud to cooperate with leading local and international entities, who recognise its role as a trusted partner for the public and private sectors and a major supporter of private companies in Abu Dhabi. The Chamber strives to meet the needs of the private sector, provide private companies with knowledge and guidance, and familiarise them with the tax and legislative system.”

“The Chamber began the execution of its new strategy, which has already started bringing about positive outcomes, especially with the signing of these agreements. During the coming period, we will continue working to strengthen our partnerships and harness the required expertise to benefit the private sector in Abu Dhabi,” He added.
The MoU with the Federal Tax Authority aims to enhance cooperation and coordination in joint programmes, initiatives, and projects and establish working committees to overcome the challenges facing the private sector in the emirate. Under the terms of the MoUs, the two parties will also organise meetings and workshops for private companies and the business community to raise awareness about the tax regulations introduced in the UAE and enable them to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with them.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the Federal Tax Authority, said: “The agreement between the Authority and the Abu Dhabi Chamber aims to strengthen cooperation to continue improving the services that support and assist businesses. This aligns with the Authority’s plans to maintain an environment that influences tax compliance by following the best standards of governance and transparency. The Authority is committed to strengthening its strategic partnerships with the public and private sector, which play a key role in successfully implementing the tax system.”

“On this occasion, we would like to thank the Abu Dhabi Chamber for its significant role in supporting this partnership, which aims to bring about great outcomes through enhancing the services provided to the stakeholders registered with the Authority. The partnership also aims to raise the level of tax awareness through the joint organisation of activities that promote tax culture among businesses and consumers, as well as inform all stakeholders about their rights and duties within the tax system to identify any obstacles that they may face and address them immediately,” He added.

The Chamber also signed an MoU with the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) to enhance cooperation between the two sides in data, exchange of experiences and knowledge, and developing statistical capabilities and competencies.

As part of the MoU, the two parties will provide accurate statistical products and develop and implement effective methodological frameworks and policies for data management through modern electronic systems, which will contribute to the organisation and integration of statistical work and support decision-makers in the emirate.
Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri, Director General of SCAD, said: “Data collaboration is imperative to the realisation of the ambitions of our wise leadership, which entails the establishment of an advanced and integrated statistical ecosystem equipped with modern technologies to aid policymakers and maintain the overall competitiveness of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

He added: “The agreement with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an important step towards expanding the Chamber’s statistical abilities and taking full advantage of data collaboration with the support of advanced technologies and solutions which ensure integration between the two entities. It would result in promoting the growth of the commercial and industrial sectors and furthering the sustainable development goals of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

Furthermore, the Chamber signed an MoU with eBay as part of its efforts to support the e-commerce sector. As part of the MoU, members of the Chamber will receive a free subscription to the eBay store for three months, and have the opportunity to take part in training courses, which are specifically designed to teach them how to create a new digital store and expand into an existing store on the eBay platform.

Jenny Hui, General Manager, Global Emerging markets at ebay, said “There are already many UAE businesses successfully selling on eBay, and in fact, an item from the UAE is sold on eBay every 2 minutes. We are excited and honoured to cooperate with our partner, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, to help many more local businesses take their business globally, with unique support and benefits from eBay.”

The Abu Dhabi Chamber has launched its new three-year strategy for 2023-2025, which centres on serving the Abu Dhabi Economy and solidifying its position as the “Voice of the Private Sector.” In line with its new strategy, the Abu Dhabi Chamber aims to empower the private sector in Abu Dhabi and enhance its competitiveness, making Abu Dhabi the first choice in the MENA region for doing business by 2025.

Governments need to build resilience through fiscal policies to bolster economic stability against shocks, speakers told the annual Arab Fiscal Forum hosted at the World Government Summit 2023.

Speaking at the opening session of the Arab Fiscal Forum, Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), presented economic forecasts and proposed recommendations to strengthen economic resilience, support economic development in Arab countries and boost the framework for joint Arab action.

On the economic level, the speakers stressed the need for fiscal policies to contribute to enhancing the stability of the economy and accelerating growth.

During his speech, Al Hussaini said this forum’s edition comes amid the repercussions of the increasing global economic slowdown in the Arab region, the rising inflation, disruption of supply chains, geopolitical challenges, high food prices, and pressured financial conditions in the wake of the fiscal stimulus.

He also highlighted utilising fiscal policy tools to manage aggregate demand, continue to improve debt management, focus on financing through local markets, and draw development plans in line with current global economic developments.

Georgieva said the MENA region must have a robust framework to conduct fiscal policy and manage fiscal risks. “With today’s shock-prone and uncertain world the conduct of fiscal policy takes on added significance,” she said.

According to economic forecasts, Georgieva said, inflation will likely to “remain contained” in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“Inflation in the region is also expected to gradually decline “as commodity prices settle and tighter monetary and fiscal policies have their intended effect,” she explained.

To build resilience, she urged countries in the region to boost tax revenues.

She also called for long-term planning and investment to address climate challenges and multilateral cooperation to tackle unsustainable debt.

Commending the collaboration among Arab countries, Georgieva said, “Over the past five years, GCC countries have provided US$54 billion in financing for budget and balance-of-payments needs. They have also supported low-income countries, and fragile and conflict-affected states in the region, through debt reduction and food security support. This includes US$10 billion in support announced by the Arab Coordination Group last year.”

She added, “Donor countries can further support regional economic stability and growth through multilateral initiatives.”

UAE’s economic contributions

Al Hussaini noted that the UAE has provided loans and development aid to developing countries during the period from 2012 to 2022 at a value of AED 255.5 billion (an average annual rate of 2 percent of the GDP), benefiting 148 countries around the world. This falls within the framework of the country’s policy aimed at supporting economic reform programmes and contributing to the implementation of development projects in Arab and non-Arab countries. Additionally, through the Arab Coordination Group, Arab countries have provided developing countries with US$245 billion in aid during the same period.

Al Hussaini said, “The economic recovery is gaining momentum, thanks to the UAE’s early and strong response and the continuous macroeconomic policies. This is in addition to the strong reform efforts within the framework of the country’s 2050 strategy to encourage the private sector growth, promote non-oil growth, and attract foreign investment.”

He noted that taxes are an effective tool that has a significant impact on economic growth, as they are one of the sources of financing the budget and diversifying economic activity. As such, in December 2022, the UAE issued a law on introducing corporate tax, which will be effective from 1st June, 2023. Corporate tax facilitates enabling financial planning in the medium and long term, helps achieve the sustainability and stability of the federal budget, and maintains growth rates.

Economic growth in the UAE
At the end of his speech, Al Hussaini reaffirmed the UAE’s keenness to exchange multifaceted developmental expertise and experiences with various countries, through which the country was able to achieve real economic growth estimated at 5.9 percent during 2022 compared to 4.7 percent in 2021 (according to the World Bank report). Additionally, the UAE’s non-oil GDP increased by 6.1 percent in 2022, and the volume of non-oil foreign trade has risen to more than AED 1 trillion in the first half of 2022.

He stated that the UAE’s pioneering commercial and economic policies and initiatives have resulted in achieving unprecedented achievements in global competitiveness indices. The country ranked among the top 10 countries in more than 28 of the most prominent indicators of global competitiveness for the year 2022 in various sectors of finance, economy, trade, communications, information technology, and investment.

The 7th Arab Fiscal Forum was organised by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), in partnership with the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) and the IMF.

The forum was held under the theme: “Fiscal Sustainability in the Arab World beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities”, and it was organised on the sidelines of the 2023 edition of the World Government Summit (WGS 2023).

The forum’s sessions
The Arab Fiscal Forum included four sessions; the first, titled “Macroeconomic Developments and Prospects”, examined recent global and regional economic developments and the outlook, with a focus on key fiscal policy challenges and priorities. The second session, titled “Managing Climate Risks and Opportunities: Fiscal Policy and Climate Change”, was chaired by Al Hussaini, and focused on fiscal policy measures to address both the challenges and opportunities associated with climate change and to ensure a transition to a green economy.

“Managing Fiscal Risks” session explored the scope for enhanced fiscal risk management and its challenges for Arab countries. The fourth session, titled “Financing Fiscal Needs: Enhancing Domestic Revenue Mobilisation”, highlighted the importance of addressing the prevalence of large informal and hard-to-tax sectors or actors, to broaden the tax base and strengthen compliance.

At the end of the forum, a roundtable was organised for ministers. Arab finance ministers, Vítor Gaspar, Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department at IMF, and Dr. Abdulrahman Al Hamidy, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of the AMF, attended the roundtable.

 Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ras Al Khaimah Public Works Department (RAKPSD) to support the rollout of electronic Aber toll gate systems, which will regularise the movement of goods vehicles.

The main aim of this partnership is to streamline the industrial inflow and outflow of RAKEZ clients’ transport and logistical operations. RAKEZ industrial zones are home to companies that are involved in regular movement of goods in and out of the emirate as well as the UAE. This collaboration will help them easily tap into new regional and global markets.

In its continuous efforts to boost the ease of doing business in Ras Al Khaimah, RAKEZ has been closely working with government entities through various agreements. RAKEZ Group CEO Ramy Jallad said, “As a leading regional economic zone, it is one of our primary responsibilities to create an environment conducive for the growth and expansion of the companies in our ecosystem. And this is possible by simplifying the processes and services that affect their business operations, whether those are fulfilled by us or other authorities.”

Director-General of RAKPSD, Engineer Khalid Fadel Al Ali said, “We are pleased with this cooperation to meet the needs of businesses, which comes as part of the Department’s endeavour to support economic growth in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. This is one of the many agreements concluded by RAKPSD with several entities, to achieve its strategic objective of strengthening the relationship with partners and the society, while serving the government of Ras Al Khaimah.”

Apart from government entities, RAKEZ also shares partnerships with private service providers and international firms to extend value-added services to its businesses. These services range from bank account opening, bookkeeping and accounting to marketing and recruitment.

Al Ansari Exchange announced a donation of US$1 million (AED3.67 million) to aid relief and humanitarian initiatives for the Syrian people affected by the devastating earthquake in the region.

The aid aims to provide support, including food, medical equipment, shelters and other essentials, to the areas and communities most affected by the earthquake in Syria. The aid is channelled through official humanitarian organisations designated to support the relief efforts.

Mohamed Ali Al Ansari, Chairman of Al Ansari Exchange, said, “On behalf of Al Ansari Exchange, we would like to offer our sincere condolences to the Syrian and Turkish people around the world during these difficult times. We are deeply saddened by the news of the recent catastrophic events and the impact they had on your communities.

“This aid comes as part of our philanthropic commitment to help provide essential assistance to reduce the humanitarian repercussions of natural disasters on the lives of victims and affected people.”