Over 22 million luggage items handled by Dubai airports in H1

Dubai Customs said it has handled over 22.139 million items of luggage at Dubai's airports in the first six months of 2023.

Dubai Customs said the high number of items dealt with is due to the efficiency of their Passenger Operations Department, and the development of inspection and scanning devices at customs centres, which significantly reduce the time required for travellers to pass through airports.

These advanced devices, coupled with the inspectors' expertise in interpreting body language, enable them to effectively detect with attempts to smuggle prohibited substances.

The Passenger Operations Department provides the Pre-Export Initiative, aimed at traders and cargo carriers of valuable goods. The allows for the completion of re-export transactions and storage of shipments in advance before departure, utilising the storage fees for customs warehouses. So far, 382 beneficiaries have taken advantage of the Pre-Export Initiative, which is currently being implemented as a pilot programme.

Other services include the Self-Handling Service for delivering customs documents to companies around the clock through a self-service option using smart QR code boxes. Within 6 months, 3,601 clients have benefited from this service, which is available to users 24/7.

Additionally, the department offers the Electronic Control System, an innovative and intelligent operational mechanism that links inspection departments with electronic systems and monitoring mechanisms. This ensures the efficiency of inspection operations and professionalism in the work by utilising electronic systems and skilled personnel for data analysis, aiming to achieve quality and efficiency in outputs with minimal negative incidents.

Ibrahim Al Kamali, Director of the Passenger Operations Department at Dubai Customs, stated that within Dubai Customs' 2021-2026 plan, the Passenger Operations Department plays a crucial role in facilitating customs procedures for travellers.