Within the Global Trade Facilitation Programme framework, organised by the World Customs Organization (SECO-WCO), and at the invitation of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs hosted a virtual study visit for the Customs Administration of Peru (SUNAT).
At the webinar, Abu Dhabi Customs presented its pioneering experiences in digital transformation during its strategic transformation journey, which benefitted from adopting the best global practices, particularly in terms of digital transformation, the use of modern technology, the automation of internal processes and the application of leading international standards, in line with the new changes, needs and future visions of customs work.
Abu Dhabi Customs was selected by the WCO to contribute to the three-day programme to foster and facilitate international trade with selected beneficiary countries, as it is recognised as one of the world’s leading administrations in applying international standards and best practices in the customs field, providing innovative services, and employing advanced technologies and a modern approach to facilitate the movement of goods and passengers.
Dr. Ebrahim Al Khajeh, Director of the Human Resources Division at Abu Dhabi Customs, presented a comprehensive overview of the HR digital transformation journey and achievements through the application of comprehensive automation to manage its human capital, using the advanced technologies of Oracle. He also emphasised the value of investing in human resources, including innovation, adopting the best international practices, developing the technical infrastructure while utilising the most cutting-edge technology and benefiting from the artificial intelligence revolution. He detailed the importance of applying automation at the level of administrative and technical development of human resources in the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs, and highlighted the efforts of Abu Dhabi Customs to enhance its services and support its human cadres to enhance government performance and make it more compatible with the requirements of the future. Abu Dhabi Customs is the first government entity in the Middle East to implement the Full Oracle HCM Cloud Suite with Analytics project, and the first government entity in Abu Dhabi to be classified as a Great Place to Work, in addition to winning the Gold Award for Employer of the Year at the 2022 Stevie Awards, Eng. Khalid Al Marzooqi, Director of the Development and Strategic Planning Division, presented an overview about the overall digital transformation strategy. He included the experience of Abu Dhabi Customs in using digital technology to improve both the core and support services, ensuring the implementation of integrated systems to support data management and information security, and the continuous development of the technical infrastructure to support operational integration and enhance the effectiveness of human capital management.
Abu Dhabi Customs representatives presented the indicators and impact of the digital transformation, project management methodology, governance and automation using PPM, compliance with ISO standards and global customs recognitions. The representatives also explained the main functions of monitoring its Performance Management System (PMS), sharing with the Peruvian delegation the most prominent achievements, strategic projects and services provided to its customers, which contribute to facilitating trade and saving time and efforts for employees and operators alike.
At the end of the benchmarking sessions, both the General Secretariat of the World Customs Organization and the Peruvian delegation expressed their thanks and gratitude to Abu Dhabi Customs and the UAE for their participation in the Global Trade Facilitation Programme and for enabling Peruvian customs to benchmark their current practices and build a roadmap for strengthening its modernisation programme. To enhance bilateral cooperation and promote further sharing of experiences, the Customs Administration of Peru proposed signing a Mutual Administrative Assistance (MAA) agreement with the UAE.
