AD Ports Group’s economic cities, free zones and digital cluster enhances customer experience

AD Ports Group has completed a number of initiatives under "The Abu Dhabi Programme for Effortless Customer Experience," a pioneering new model that enables effortless customer experiences across Abu Dhabi Government.

Spearheaded by the Group's Economic Cities and Free Zones, and Digital clusters, the initiatives aimed at enhancing the omnichannel experience for clients at KEZAD.

From improved service level agreements for walk-ins and contact centre enquiries to the launch of a digitalised Free Zone License application service through the Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform (ATLP), the initiatives included innovative approaches to making the flow of information more user-friendly while enabling centralised access through KEZAD Cloud for investor-related documents to all key government stakeholders and partners, for quick turnaround.

Another key service improvement, the Customs Registration Number integration, provides the investor with an importer code immediately with the issuance of a license.

The new service operating procedures also allow investors to avail the licence application service through the UAE Pass application.

All initiatives aligned with the Effortless Customer Experience Programme model's four dimensions of direction, design, development and delivery, spanning from digitising services and systems integration to mapping stakeholder delegations for several relevant government entities, regular customer communication and comprehensive training for customer support functions.

The customer-focused approach resulted in completely transforming the investor registration process, cutting down the number of touchpoints required, offering a Single Window for free zone licence application and post-licencing services for KEZAD; in addition to building a state-of-the-art investor dashboard that unifies information from all relevant entities, facilitating Foreign Direct Investment through overseas registrations on ATLP.

Dr. Ali Hussain Makki, Executive Director – Logistics and Trade Facilitation Sector at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), highlighted ADDED's commitment to bolstering trade and logistics sectors for economic growth. He praised AD Ports Group's efforts in improving customer experiences, streamlining procedures, and integrating government services to enhance trade facilitation solutions.

Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities and Free Zones at AD Ports Group, emphasised the significance of initiatives like KEZAD Connect, Josoor, and Tawasul in maintaining open channels with customers. He underlined AD Ports Group's dedication to providing exceptional experiences through both in-person and digital interactions.

Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri, CEO of Digital Cluster and CEO of Maqta Gateway, discussed the innovative approach of the Digital Cluster in revolutionising trade and logistics. She highlighted the design thinking methodology, incorporating feedback from various stakeholders to minimise obstacles.

ATLP, developed and operated by Maqta Gateway under the supervision of the ADDED, serves as Abu Dhabi's Single Window for trade and offers 700+ services to the trade community in Abu Dhabi and beyond. With the recent launch of digitalised Free Zone Application service through ATLP, customers can easily lease land, warehouse, showrooms and flexi-desk space at KEZAD remotely.

The Abu Dhabi Programme for Effortless Customer Experience model addresses the entire customer experience holistically, is benchmarked against international standards and will see major investment in human capital through a government-wide effortless customer experience training programme.