Dubai Customs proudly announces the release of its fourth annual Corporate Sustainability Report. This report represents the Department's efforts and practices towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and discusses its approach and achievements towards Social, Economic, Environmental and Workplace effects arising from business practices during 2011.

H.E. Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone, the Director General of Dubai Customs said that Dubai Customs adherence to Social Responsibility moves in harmony with the oriented guidelines of the Dubai Government which aims at achieving sustainable development and maintaining excellence and leadership in all areas. These are reported and highlighted in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) encompassing our Employees, Market Place, Society and the Environment and has contributed to improved performance of Dubai Customs, socially, economically and environmentally to enhance its reputation and image in the region. 

He added: "Our publishing of the Sustainability Report for the fourth consecutive year is our commitment to pursue the institutional work of CSR and its activities, as we seek to sustain our efforts, our standards and our values, and find creative ways to reach better levels of excellence in all areas." Stressing, that Dubai Customs is the first Customs organization in the world to have a Sustainability Report in accordance with the guidelines of GRI - G3.1 from Amsterdam, attaining level - A, which is the highest level of accreditation reflecting compliance and transparency on the organization's annual achievements."

Our sustainability Report, depicted with statistical, diagram tables and pictures, offers an overview of Dubai Customs sustainability efforts, mainly, the implementation of CSR policy which embodies respect for Human Rights and non-acceptance of forced and compulsory child labour and the use of child labour in activities and advocacy of non-discrimination amongst employees whereas to recognise culture diversities, allowing opportunities for all Dubai Customs employees to participate in voluntary social, cultural and environmental activities, following sound occupational health and safety (OHS) procedures in Dubai Customs Headquarters and all its Centres, encouraging preservation of environment, adopting precautions for the improvement of principles for the substitution of hazardous substances, combating corruption and bribes in all forms by prohibiting acceptance of gifts and merits to employees, contributing in the local community development through effective corporate resources, values and business concept.

The Report represents the efforts made by Dubai Customs in seeking to ensure sustainability in areas of human and physical resources, in particular. The organization is adhered to follow continuity approach and implement best world-practices in all corporate business aspect of activities, including the regular annual study of employees and customers' satisfaction. The adherence also involves providing training opportunities for distinguished individuals along with the allocation of annual budgeting for the training and development of competencies on yearly basis. It also includes the Key Performance Indicators for the CSR at the organizational level which aims at maintaining the balance between the economic, social and environmental elements. 

The Report highlights the procedures that are followed by the organization for the improvement of monitoring and evaluation of results orientation which eventually helps in setting out adequate policies and programs towards achieving Dubai Customs challengeable objectives in-line with Dubai Government strategic guidelines. In this respect, the Executive Directors at Dubai Customs always seek to motivate employees to exchange their ideas in performance improvement, especially in the areas which lack development.

With regard to the workforce initiative, the Report highlights Dubai Customs adherence to improve rate of Emiratization through recruiting highly qualified skilful and professional nationals and then train them to develop their technical and behavioural competencies. In this regard, the percentage of the Emiratization , by the end of 2011, has reached to record 79.3% which has been recorded as the highest percentage amongst all competitive Dubai government departments. The Report also introduces Dubai Customs ideal workplace environment which extend to involve open availability of opportunities before employees to develop and invest their skills as required. This has ultimately been achieved in 2011 as the year has witnessed a growing numbers of training programs reaching to 362 (internal and external training sessions) against 324 during 2010, with average of 18.7 hours per local employee and 13hours per expatriate employee. Dubai Customs also launched the initiative of the Best Working Mother's Award and introduced the approach for electing a representative for employees to ensure enhancement of transparency. The Department also gave due concern to the safety and health initiatives and launched "CADRE" program for the enhancement of social networking with employees. 

In terms of market place, the Report represents views from the outcomes achieved by customers last year, namely, the launch of an innovative Mobile Service, "My SMART Reports Service" which is meant to serve and provide highest level of customer service and enhance the revenues by 11.7% , besides improving the growing numbers of clients who are registered with Dubai Customs

The report also highlights some key community achievements of Dubai Customs, mainly including the launch of number of campaigns for supporting National Identity, such as adoption of "My Flag" initiative. Also included is the opening of Dubai Customs pavilion at the children entertainment city "Kidzania" in Dubai Mall which trained around 22500 children on the job of a Custom Inspector, besides, spreading awareness to 39,000 students on IPR. Moreover, training Dubai Customs employees on "SANID" to response during disaster, carrying out a number of cultural, education and health campaign programs, undertaking humanitarian activities including construction of two mosques in Somalia last year, launching a campaign for the care of orphans and donated some bags, clothes and shoes to the Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian work. 

A large section of the report has been dedicated to the environmental performance of Dubai Customs containing facts and statistics about efforts in the areas of environment protection and reducing consumption of power and water. The efforts in this area made by Dubai Customs had successfully achieved good outcomes where 828,000 watts were saved and 41,000 tons of Co2 emission were reduced as a result of using environmental friendly air conditioning and warming systems and green building systems. The Department through the recycling program managed to preserve 208,000 trees and adopted the "Green Customs" initiative which was launched in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In June 2011, the Department in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Water and with the participation of WCO and a number of related International Organization held a successful workshop on this initiative with the aim of combating illegitimate trading in environmental detrimental substances.

Printed versions of the Report has been released in Arabic and English versions to ensure diverse understanding and encourage awareness on Corporate Responsibility and is also available to be viewed at Dubai Customs website.

Last but not the least, Dubai Customs was recognized for the second consecutive time to secure the first place in 2011, receiving the "Arabia CSR Award" for the Government Sector category in which more than 110 competitors from different international and Arab world companies and corporation participated.