Dubai Customs won Farouk El-Baz Award for Excellence in Organizational Sustainability of the Public Sector category. The Award was launched by Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University in 2011 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and University President. It was developed for the purpose of encouraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in organizations and driving excellence in different parts of the world across different operations by instilling the belief that CSR at all levels has a positive impact on the sustained competitiveness keeping pace with the growing demands of the 21^st century.

Mrs. Feryal Tawakul, Executive Director of Community Affairs and Government Partnership division was handed the award by H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in Chief of Dubai Police and Chairman of the University's Board of Governors during a private ceremony recently organized by Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University at its headquarters. The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the University's Annual Congress which was held under the main theme; "Innovation Based Competitiveness: How to redefine excellence" and was attended by a number of government official personnel in Dubai and prominent scientists and researchers specialized in knowledge and education in the UAE and overseas.

H.E. Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Custom and Free Zone Corporation Dubai Customs Director General expressed his satisfaction for winning this prestigious award which crowns Dubai Customs' efforts in CSR and reflects its commitment to excellence standard in corporate sustainability in theory, practice and performance. He stressed as well that CSR is considered a priority in Dubai Customs' strategies, so high that it was transferred to an added-value element instead of being a burden.

H.E. Ahmed Butti noted that in the recent years Dubai Customs launched dozens of community initiatives which are stemmed from four main pillars; the environment, community, clients and the employees. Numerous sustainable community projects were adopted in this field; all of which contributed directly to bagging high level awards such as earning twice the CSR Arabia Award- Public Sector Category; which is an award granted by Arabia CSR Network, and the consecutive awarding of Ideas UK Platinum Accreditation for the Department's suggestion system efficiency. The latter award is regarded as an unprecedented achievement in the Arab world, not to forget that Dubai Customs 

was the first government department to ever receive this accreditation worldwide.

Mrs. Feryal Tawakul said that winning El-Baz Award is an outcome of the extensive care the CSR team gives to this aspect, in addition to launching several initiatives that fostered CSR and rendered it into an integrative part of Dubai Government strategy, the ultimate key behind this success.