Dubai – Dubai Customs pulled out all the stops for the 2023 World Intellectual Property Day celebration, rallying under the banner of "Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity". The gala event was presided over by His Excellency Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs and CEO of Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation. Joining him at the event were Engineer Abdullah Belhoul, CEO of the Planning and Development Department - Tarakhees, Mahmoud Amin, Maritime Agent for Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation, Dr. Metha Buhumaid, Director General of Dubai Press Club, Malik Hanouf, CEO of Brand Owners' Protection Group, and Alia Shamlan, Director of Dubai Farjan. The event was also attended by representatives from various government entities, both federal and local, as well as foreign diplomatic missions.

Musabih highlighted women's critical role in driving progress across all domains and declared them essential co-creators and co-architects of progress. Dubai Customs recognized the excellent contributions made by women to the customs profession through the "Al-Thuraya Award."

In 2022, the value of the non-oil foreign trade sector in the UAE surged by 17%, reaching approximately AED 2.2 trillion, and the number of travelers passing through the country's airports topped 101 million. Dubai Customs is committed to keeping pace with this explosive growth by enhancing commercial, customs, and travel-related services and facilities. Dubai economic agenda, D33, aims to double Dubai's foreign trade value to AED 25.6 trillion for goods and services and add 400 new cities to its global trade map by 2033. Protecting intellectual property rights is one of the core foundations of enhancing the country's competitiveness and attracting more trade.

Dubai Customs has been relentlessly pursuing counterfeit goods and fighting for the protection of intellectual property rights. In 2022, the government department dealt with 388 cases of intellectual property disputes, taking on 15 million counterfeit goods with a total value of 110 million AED. During the first quarter of 2023, Dubai Customs handled 112 cases involving 10 million counterfeit goods with a total value of 29 million AED. The government department also shows a commitment to environmental responsibility by organizing recycling operations to dispose of seized counterfeit goods. In 2022, 93 recycling operations were conducted, dealing with 173,000 counterfeit goods. During the first quarter of 2023, 24 recycling operations were conducted, disposing of 44,000 counterfeit goods in an eco-friendly manner.

Dubai Customs organized 44 awareness campaigns to educate the public on the risks and dangers of counterfeit goods. The oldest government department in the emirate has also registered 350 trademarks and 160 commercial agencies to further support the protection of intellectual property rights. During the first quarter of 2023, 91 trademarks and 86 commercial agencies were registered.

In his video speech at the event, Darren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), emphasized the crucial role women have played throughout history in building civilization. To support this, WIPO is implementing a comprehensive system to protect intellectual property rights and promote women's participation in all major economic and social fields. This initiative aims to enable all groups, including women and youth, to join the global march of human progress.

Dubai Customs is also encouraging the younger generation to join the fight against counterfeit goods by launching the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Award for schools and universities in 2023. On World Intellectual Property Day 2023, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih presented the Personality of the Year award to Dr. Metha Buhumaid, Director of Dubai Press Club, and Alia Al Shamlan, Director of Farjan Dubai.

Dr. Buhumaid was recognized for her pivotal role in highlighting Dubai's achievements and success stories through various media channels, including social media.

Al Shamlan was honored for her significant contribution to building a sustainable community relationship among neighbors in Dubai through a single electronic platform on Instagram.

Additionally, several schools were awarded the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Award, including Al Mawakeb School-Al Khawaneej for inventing the Customs Robot and Al Zawraa School in Ajman for their smart IP ACADEMY application.

Dubai Customs' unwavering dedication to protecting intellectual property rights is admirable, as their efforts not only preserve the integrity of the marketplace but also promote environmental responsibility and raise public awareness of the dangers of counterfeit goods.

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