Dubai Customs went all out to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day in 2023 with the theme "Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity." The gala ceremony was presided over by His Excellency Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs and CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.
In addition to Dr. Metha Buhumaid, Director General of the Dubai Press Club, Engineer Abdullah Belhoul, CEO of the Planning and Development Department-Tarkhees, Mahmoud Amin, Maritime Agent for Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Malik Hanouf, CEO of Brand Owners' Protection Group, and Alia Shamlan, Director of Dubai Farjan, were also in attendance. The event was also attended by representatives from several federal, state, local, and foreign diplomatic missions.
Women are essential co-creators and co-architects of progress, according to Ahmed Mahboob, who emphasised the critical role they play in improving society in all fields. Using the "Al-Thuraya Award," Dubai Customs recognised the remarkable contributions made by women in the area of customs.
AED 2.2 trillion was added to the value of the UAE's non-oil international trade industry in 2022, and more than 101 million passengers used its airports. To keep up with this fast development, Dubai Customs is committed to improving commercial, customs, and travel-related services and facilities. By 2033, Dubai's D33 economic plan hopes to quadruple its international trade value to AED 25.6 trillion for goods and services by adding 400 new destinations to its global trade map. Protecting intellectual property rights is one of the fundamental tenets for increasing the country's competitiveness and attracting more business.
Dubai Customs has been tenaciously pursuing counterfeit goods and fighting to uphold intellectual property rights. In 2022, the government department handled 388 instances involving intellectual property concerns and 15 million counterfeit goods for a total of 110 million AED. During the first quarter of 2023, Dubai Customs handled 112 cases involving 10 million counterfeit goods for a total of 29 million AED.
The government organisation plans recycling events to dispose of phoney goods that have been seized, displaying its dedication to environmental sustainability. In 2022, 93 recycling operations containing 173,000 phoney objects were completed. In the first quarter of 2023, 24 recycling procedures were completed, appropriately discarding 44,000 false products.
Dubai Customs organised 44 awareness campaigns to inform the public about the dangers and risks of counterfeit goods. The oldest government organisation in the emirate has also registered 350 trademarks and 160 business entities, significantly bolstering the defence of intellectual property rights. In the first quarter of 2023, 91 trademarks and 86 commercial agencies were registered.
In a speech he delivered via video at the event, WIPO Director General Darren Tang emphasised the enormous contribution women have made to civilization throughout history. In order to facilitate this, WIPO is establishing a comprehensive framework to protect intellectual property rights and promote women's participation in all significant economic and social arenas. The goal of this programme is to enable all demographics, particularly women and young people, to promote humanity on a global scale.
In order to encourage the next generation to join the fight against fake goods, Dubai Customs will create the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Award for schools and colleges in 2023. Alia Al Shamlan and Dr. Metha Buhumaid, directors of the Dubai Press Club and Farjan Dubai, respectively, won the Personality of the Year award from Ahmed Mahboob Musabih on World Intellectual Property Day in 2023.
Dr. Buhumaid received recognition for being instrumental in using various media channels, including social media, to highlight Dubai's achievements and success stories. Al Shamlan was honoured for her significant contribution to strengthening community ties in Dubai by using just one digital platform, Instagram.
Several schools, notably Al Mawakeb School-Al Khawaneej for creating the Customs Robot and Al Zawraa School in Ajman for their inventive IP ACADEMY application, also received the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Award.
It is admirable that Dubai Customs is so dedicated to safeguarding intellectual property rights since their work not only promotes environmental stewardship and raises public awareness of the dangers presented by fake goods, but also helps to maintain the market's integrity.
