Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform By Dubai Customs Praised By World Customs Organisation

The World Customs Organisation has highlighted Dubai Customs’ Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform as a global digital customs model, publishing a dedicated case study in French, English and Spanish, while the initiative supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the wider growth of the UAE’s e-commerce ecosystem.

The Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform is helping expand trade flows by streamlining customs procedures for online purchases, supporting extra activity in shipping, warehousing and last-mile delivery, and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a logistics gateway through rising sea and air freight volumes linked to regional and global demand.

In its report, the World Customs Organisation stated that Dubai Customs’ experience shows how customs innovation and stronger border controls are achievable through clear policy frameworks, collaboration between public and private sectors, and the deployment of advanced digital tools across supply chains and logistics operations.

Juma Al Ghaith, Adviser to the Director General and Executive Director of Customs Development at Dubai Customs, said the World Customs Organisation’s assessment confirms the transformation that Dubai Customs is driving in cross-border trade and online commerce, under the leadership’s ambition to position Dubai as a future-ready economic centre. "We are operating according to a comprehensive vision that anticipates the future and places innovation at the forefront of government priorities," Al Ghaith said.

Al Ghaith explained that the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform relies on blockchain technology, which allows secure tracking of transactions and shipments and creates a trusted environment for traders, adding that the system has become a reference point for customs authorities seeking practical digital solutions for cross-border e-commerce processes.

Atiq Al Muhairi, Executive Director of Customs Development at Dubai Customs, said the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform integrates government departments with shipping and express companies, helping businesses meet customs requirements faster while supporting digital trade analysis through artificial intelligence tools that provide insights into cargo flows and trading patterns.

According to Al Muhairi, the World Customs Organisation report described the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform as a model for applying technology to simplify lawful trade and encourage investment, with future plans focusing on deeper cooperation with leading international online marketplaces and logistics operators serving customers in and beyond the region.

Market figures cited in the report showed that the UAE’s e-commerce sector reached a total value of AED32.3 billion ($8.8 billion) in 2024, with projections indicating that the market could exceed AED50.6 billion ($13.8 billion) by 2029, reflecting sustained consumer and business adoption of digital channels.

Dubai Customs aims to route between 20 percent and 30 percent of all low-value mail shipments containing e-commerce goods through the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform, and stated that coordination with multinational express carriers and small and medium-sized enterprises extends the system’s reach across Gulf Cooperation Council trade corridors.

These developments support the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which targets a doubling of Dubai’s economy within ten years, seeks to place the city among the world’s top three economic centres, and includes an objective to rank Dubai among the five leading global logistics hubs for trade.

With international recognition from the World Customs Organisation, defined economic targets under D33 and clear growth indicators for online trade, the Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform remains central to how Dubai Customs manages digital customs processes while contributing to wider e-commerce and logistics expansion across the UAE and the Gulf region.

With inputs from WAM