Dubai Customs’ Innovation Festival kicks off with vibrant activities

Organized by Dubai Customs (DC) under the slogan ‘We Innovate Happiness’, a 7-day Innovation Festival is kick-starting today (Sunday 20 November 2016), in parallel with UAE Innovation Week from 20th to 26th November.

 Dubai Customs has prepared a vibrant program of activities and initiatives designed to actively engage all elements of society in the nationwide drive to spread the culture of innovation and creativity in the community. Throughout the days of the Festival, members of the public are encouraged to present new ideas and innovations that would make people happier and reinforce the comprehensive and sustainable economic progress of the United Arab Emirates.   

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO & Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), said: “We are inspired by the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership and the vision of His Highness sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, gives us positive energy to continue engendering innovation and creativity in society.

“At PCFC we are keen to develop and revamp our programs aimed at encouraging people to think out of the box to produce creative innovations that support the growing trend of social and economic development of the nation. The UAE Innovation Week 2016 is golden opportunity for us to share our innovation-led initiatives and highlight our efforts to build creative capacities of the community, particularly new generations and young innovators to whom we direct close strategic attention.”  

Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, said DC has stepped up its efforts to engage all stakeholders in the provision of creative and smart ideas that would improve Customs work performance. “We have been keen to recognize all employees, customers, partners and members of the public who took to Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Majlis to share with us their new ideas for enhancing our business. DC has an integrated system that follows up the study of submitted development ideas and suggestions by competent work teams who determines the executive steps for turning the feasible ones into practical projects and initiatives in Customs work.”

The eventful program of “Innovation Festival’ in Dubai Customs includes launching a smart innovation platform to be set up in front of DC headquarters, which is designed and equipped with the latest high-tech equipment and smart gadgets. The platform showcases a wide range of leading innovations developed by innovators from within and outside of Dubai customs. The stage also brings forth to the public creative activities of talented minds in various fields. A series of visits are scheduled to the innovation platform to allow students from schools and universities to get hands-on experience of creations and innovations on display.

The Festival also features “We Innovate Happiness Forums” which are organized at Al Furdah Hall of Customs  Training Center. Two panel sessions are held daily during 21st to 23rd November, with the participation of experts and specialists from leading national innovation organizations and government stakeholders along with active contributions from UAE youth innovators.

The first day discusses the topic “Government Innovation Schemes” as part of a panel session bringing together speakers from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Innovation, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Majlis, and the Government of Dubai Unified Suggestions System. A number of innovators will present their experiences in innovation under a panel session themed “How I Became an Innovator”.

In the second day, experts from “Dubai Future Accelerators”, Masdar Institute and DP World’s TURN 8 will present their vision on the topic “How to Create Innovation”. The second panel session of the day features intellectual property and patents experts from the Ministry of Economy and Dubai Customs who will speak about “Protecting Innovation and Innovators”.

The third day of the forums is designated to discuss “Reality and Future of 3D Printing”, in addition to an open discussion between UAE scientists and innovators on the topic “UAE Youth and the Spirit of Innovation”.

Also in parallel with UAE Innovation Week 2016, Dubai Customs is staging a 4-day Innovation Campaign to run around-the-clock in Dubai International Airport’s terminals 2 and 3. The campaign program comprises the provision of a multi-lingual smart interactive platform to allow passengers and staff to present their new ideas and suggestions for bolstering innovation as well as to rate their satisfaction and happiness with customs services and procedures in Dubai’s airports. Daily draws will be held to offer participants a chance to win valuable gifts and prizes, with results to be announced on big screens to attract and engage passengers from all cultural backgrounds and age categories.       

The Innovation Festival is also targeting kids and new generations. In collaboration with VOX Cinemas, Dubai Customs will show all the 21 films that took part in Dubai Customs Award for Children’s Films on Intellectual Property as part of the Children’s International Film Festival 2016. Scholl and university students are invited to watch the movies during the mornings of UAE Innovation Week at a movie theatre in Mall of the Emirates Vox Cinema. 

A number of brainstorming sessions and workshops will take place all over the week across Dubai Customs centers. These events will bring together customers, partners and staff to generate fresh ideas and innovations to take Customs and trade services and facilitations to the next stage, in a way that supports sustainable economic development and enhances community protection against illegitimate trade.

Furthermore, a morning live radio program on innovation and creativity is set to air everyday at 11am throughout the UAE Innovation Week on Dubai FM Radio. The broadcast, presented in association with Dubai Customs, helps promote the culture of innovation by hosting famous innovators who will present their experiences to the public and explain how they managed to come up with successful creations and developments.