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Emirates Customs”… a unified identity to enhance competitiveness

The customs sector in the UAE is one of the main sectors that contribute to protecting the security of society, maintaining its stability, promoting the development process, and supporting economic growth.

In continuation of the achievements made by the customs sector in the country, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security recently and officially launched the name “Emirates Customs” as a unified identity for the customs sector in the country in implementation of the decision and directives of the esteemed Council of Ministers.

Unifying the name of the customs sector in the country as “Emirates Customs” is a very important step to strengthen the strategic partnership between the components of the customs sector in the UAE, unify the country’s customs identity, and then move to a new phase of customs work that leads to enhancing the country’s leadership and competitiveness regionally and globally.

In confirmation of the new identity of the customs sector in the country, the slogan “Emirates Customs” was adopted, which includes a set of authentic Emirati values, the most important of which is the interconnected national role in providing customs services and external representation in a way that maintains the country’s regional and global leadership.

The logo reflects, through the colors it contains, the prosperity and cultural progress of the state and its position as a safe transit gateway between the East and the West, in addition to its aspiration towards the future with unparalleled confidence and ambition, and its pride in its heritage and its extension in its present and future. The logo embodies the pivotal role of customs operations and their dynamic movement represented in supervisory activities.

The combination of colors that make up the logo between green and blue expresses the wide scope of carrying out customs operations through land, sea and air ports, as a natural reflection of the prosperity and civilizational progress of the country’s territory.

The wise leadership of the UAE does not stop being creative and innovative in developing the government work system until the UAE government is the most efficient and flexible government in the world. In this context, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him”, launched on November 8, 2023, the “Zero government bureaucracy” program.

The program seeks to simplify and reduce government procedures and eliminate unnecessary procedures and requirements. Ministries and government agencies were directed to immediately implement the program by canceling at least 2,000 government procedures, reducing at least 50% of the time periods for procedures, and eliminating all unnecessary conditions and requirements within a year. The results of the work will be evaluated and the best achievements will be celebrated by the end of 2024.

The launch of the “Zero Government Bureaucracy” program embodies many clear strategic messages and goals, the most prominent of which is that caring for people first and improving the quality of life of society is the focus and goal of government work, and that the comfort of this person and the provision of proactive, flexible services that meet their current and future aspirations before they request them is the backbone of government work. In all sectors, the launch of this program also confirms that the process of developing the government work system is a dynamic, continuous process that does not stop, and accepts any development that benefits people and society, maintains the country’s leadership, and supports its competitiveness.

Within a few months, the Cabinet team concerned with eliminating bureaucracy, in cooperation with the relevant teams in ministries and government agencies, made great efforts that contributed to unifying visions, setting steps, and approving initiatives and projects. Zeroing bureaucracy became a reality on the ground in the UAE, and many ministries and government agencies succeeded in achieving Reducing the steps of most of the services it provides, which is what everyone feels and witnesses today in the UAE and abroad.

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security has an important and major role in achieving the goals of the government bureaucracy zeroing program, due to the breadth of the services it provides and the diversity of its customer base, and in response to the directives of the wise leadership and fulfilling the requirements of the program, the pace accelerated and the authority’s bureaucracy zeroing team succeeded in achieving one achievement after another in cooperation. With the team concerned with eliminating bureaucracy in the esteemed Council of Ministers, in a clear message that reflects the authority’s keenness on seriousness and sincerity in serving humanity first, improving the quality of life of society, and committing to implementing strategic government directions by developing the service system, reducing procedures, and shortening the customer’s journey to be more comfortable, enjoyable, and safe.

Based on the directives of the wise government of the UAE and its strategic objectives, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP) always seeks to provide easy and easy proactive services with simple procedures within the framework of its plans to anticipate the future and study it for feedback from the public.  DEWA continues implementing improvement plans to develop services to meet customers’ current and future needs.

In this strategic context, in April 2022, the ICP took an improvement step for one of the Residency and Foreigners Affairs Services when it decided to suspend the issuance of the residence voucher to foreigners residing in the country and replace the Emirates ID card issued to a foreigner living in the UAE as an alternative to proof of residence.

This decision achieves a set of strategic objectives, the foremost of which is the consolidation of innovative government enablers in all areas and services it provides, facilitating the customer’s journey and raising the level of satisfaction by shortening the steps for issuing residency, which means saving time, effort, and costs for customers, in addition to expanding the scope of using the ID card in transactions, and moving more towards the government.  Paperless and consolidating this concept in society, and simplifying the ID card application procedures by merging the ID card application form with the residence sticker in one application.

To facilitate customers, ICP has made available through its innovative Mobile application the possibility of obtaining the electronic copy of the ID card in support of flexibility of use upon request, mainly since the new generation of Emirates ID cards issued to foreigners residing in the UAE includes all the details mentioned previously in the residence Sticker,  which enhances the added value It enhances the added value of the uses of the identity card in proving the personal identity of individuals through the presence of personal and professional data, the issuer and other readable data of the card and the Embodied Information and Data reinforced through E-Link Technology.

Based on the principles of the Fifty Declaration and the UAE Centennial 2071, which stipulate that the human being comes first, and the directives of the wise leadership, and within the framework of its relentless pursuit to achieve leadership and develop proactive services provided to customers. In early September 2022, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security ( ICP ) launched the third generation of advanced services, which includes issuing a new generation of UAE passports and an updated system for entry and residence visas for foreigners in the country.

In this system, the ICP embodied the slogan of the human being or the customer first and granted customers, including citizens, foreigners, residents, and visitors, unprecedented advantages locally and regionally in the field of printing the UAE passport, as well as new advantages, conditions, and categories for entry and residence visas that are easier and easier.

These advantages reflect the insightful future vision of the wise leadership of the UAE and the esteemed Council of Ministers headed by His Highness the President of the UAE, His Highness the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and their brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and their keenness to make the UAE an oasis for living, working, innovation and investment, and enhancing its competitiveness and leadership.

The developed services system, launched by the ICP this month, aims to enhance the leadership and competitiveness of the UAE among the countries of the region and the world in the field of living and residence, supporting economic growth, attracting investments and talents, and providing proactive services in the spirit and thought of the fifty, as well as emphasizing the humanitarian values and principles on which the UAE was founded.

The new UAEpassport is a new technological leap that enhances the cultural status of the UAE and is in line with the directions of the wise leadership to move towards intelligent government and provide security and safety for citizens in their solutions and travel.

The new visa system is characterized by the development of applied residencies and simplification of their procedures, and the addition of new types to suit all categories of investors, entrepreneurs, brilliant talents, scientists, specialists, visitors, first students, graduates, humanitarian pioneers, the first line of defense and skilled labor in all fields.

The updated visa system includes a new generation of residencies with great benefits and facilities aimed at separating the residence from the employer and considering the contractual relationship, reuniting families, providing flexible grace periods of up to 6 months after the expiry or cancellation of residency, and adding new options for those wishing to visit the country and those looking for job and investment opportunities, and the most prominent of the new residency,    Green residency granted for a period of 5 years, renewable without a guarantor or employer.

The third generation of developed services is a step towards the future, followed by actions and measures that achieve the hopes and ambitions of customers, on the promise of ICP to continue the development pathway and achieve leadership in providing services.

In a pioneering step at the global and regional levels, the UAE launched in 2019 a proactive service targeting the distinguished category of entrepreneurs, investors, experienced employees and educators, talented and technically skilled people, and attracting them to live, work and reside in the long term in the country.

Under this service, people who meet the conditions can apply for candidacy to obtain a long-term residence for a period of 5 or 10 years. This system allows residents, foreign expatriates and their families to enjoy long-term residency without the need for a sponsor in the UAE, and their residency is automatically renewed. Furthermore, this system enhances the environment that supports business growth and success in the country.

Since that date, the development process went beyond that service to include in later stages the addition of new targeted categories and the launch of other new services that meet the aspirations of many other groups who wish to work and live in the UAE.

The reason why the idea of golden residency in the UAE is pioneering at the regional and global levels, lies in a set of basic features, the most prominent of which is that it is the first service of its kind in the region and almost the world. It aims to mobilize the residency system of foreigners to support the process of sustainable national development, both in terms of attracting the capital needed to establish projects and implement strategic plans, and of attracting the competencies and talents that the labor market needs in the coming years and decades, in addition to its paramount importance in promoting tourism, work and investment in the country by targeting the category of celebrities in various fields.

In light of the statistics and indicators, it is confirmed that the UAE has become a dream for Arab and international youth to live, work and reside. The golden residency service represents an empowering tool for the state to select the distinguished, qualified and talented among them in all fields, which represents a long-term investment in knowledge and human resources. It will have an impact on the economy, society, and national human resources in the long run.

Among the most important features that enhance the leadership of the UAE in providing the golden residency service as well, are the simplicity of the procedures provided by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the multiplicity of approved channels of services and the low costs compared to the validity period of the residency. Those who meet the conditions and wish to do so can apply for the service directly through the authority’s smart application “ICA UAE Smart” and its website: “www.icp.gov.ae”.

Most importantly, it undergoes “governance”, which means it includes scientific, financial, educational and technical standards and conditions that lead directly to achieving the desired national economic, social and human goals such as supporting the economy, attracting capital and talented people.

His Excellency Major General Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi

Director General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports

Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security