Intellectual Property Awareness Initiatives In Dubai Communities

Dubai Customs has stepped up community outreach through awareness workshops in Umm Suqeim and Al Rashidiya, teaching residents how to spot counterfeit goods and understand intellectual property risks. The sessions explain how fake products affect public health, consumer safety and the wider national economy in the United Arab Emirates.

The workshops form part of the Neighborhood Councils initiative, which targets key community groups through direct engagement. At Umm Suqeim, Dubai Customs focused on Community Development Authority employees, while sessions in Al Rashidiya were designed for senior citizens using simple language, interactive tools and demonstrations that encouraged high levels of participation.

Workshops were delivered by the Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department with support from the Corporate Communications Department. Content covered legal rules on intellectual property, the dangers of counterfeit trade and how residents can report suspected violations. Presenters highlighted common examples of fake products, helping attendees link these issues to everyday purchases.

Mansour Al Malik, Executive Director of Policy and Legislation at Dubai Customs, said "protecting intellectual property is a shared responsibility that requires community awareness alongside regulatory enforcement." Al Malik explained that public understanding is essential because counterfeit goods often enter markets through normal consumer channels, not only through organised smuggling routes.

Al Malik also pointed to the growing use of advanced technologies and smart targeting systems at Dubai Customs. These tools help identify suspected counterfeit and adulterated goods before they reach the local market, protecting the rights of innovators and trademark owners and supporting fair competition within the domestic economy.

According to Al Malik, involving senior citizens and government employees strengthens community partnerships and extends awareness messages into households and workplaces. Dubai Customs uses accessible educational materials, visual examples and direct discussion to make technical concepts about intellectual property easier to understand for different age groups and professional backgrounds.

Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of the IPR Department, said promoting intellectual property culture is an investment in the community’s present and future. Mubarak noted that informed people are better able to distinguish genuine goods from counterfeit items and can therefore contribute to protecting the national economy from illegal trade.

Noof Al Belabd, Senior Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, stated that Dubai Customs’ participation aligns with the Year of Community, supporting social cohesion and shared responsibility. The programme aims to create lasting behavioural change, rather than one-time awareness, by linking intellectual property protection with everyday consumer decisions and broader economic wellbeing in Dubai.

The workshops were supervised by Awareness and Education Officer Fatma Al Blooshi, working with Senior Awareness and Education Officer Zainab Habib. Their tailored approaches, including case studies and question-and-answer sessions, drew strong engagement and positive feedback, reinforcing Dubai Customs’ wider efforts to embed intellectual property awareness within neighbourhoods across the emirate.

With inputs from WAM