Dubai Customs bags five trophies from Ideas America in 2015

Dubai Customs has bagged five trophies from the 6th Ideas America summit, held in Hanover, Maryland, recently. Notably, Dubai Customs bagged a high profile award in the innovation category, through its Director, Ahmed Mahboob, who was awarded the Best Executive Leadership Award 2015. The other four awards included the Advocate Award, Idea of the Year (for its amphibious lab-vehicle), the Best Suggestion System Manager, and the Communication Excellence Award. With such achievements, DC helps promote UAE’s position around the world, thanks to DC’s recognisable participation in major international competitions, along with other remarkable international entities. Recognising his significant role to support and motivate employees as well as customers to unleash their innovative spirit, Ahmed Mahboob received the Best Executive Leadership Award in the Innovation Category of Ideas America 2015. Ahmed Mahboob was also praised for taking the risk in implementing unprecedented, one-of-a-kind ideas, not to mention his continuous efforts to develop the customs performance by applying the World’s best practices using UAE innovations complying with the international standards of Ideas America. On the other hand, Ideas America’s Awards Committee stated that Ahmed Mahboob distinguishably applies the best international standards of effective leadership and continuous institutional development by being a professionally good example for his team, especially when it comes to timely propose and implement new ideas . This was only possible through his direct and concentrated follow-up for the application of new ideas and initiatives in all customs centres. Mahboob is also keen to engage his employees while applying such ideas so that they can earn the knowledge and expertise they may need to strengthen their future ideas and professional skills, related to the team work spirit. Saeed Ahmed Al Tayer , the Executive Director of Policies and Legislation Division at Dubai Customs, has received the Best Executive Leadership Award, on behalf of Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, from Ideas America awards. Moreover, DC has been awarded the first golden category in Ideas America summit 2015, through winning the Advocate Award 2015, that was achieved by Khaled Al Moazeen, Senior Inspection Manager of Customs Cargo Operations. This award is usually granted to the advocate or the provider who effectively implements ideas, is highly capable of marketing them, and greatly contributes in enhancing the organisational suggestions system performance. Personally, Al Moazeen has contributed in providing more than 100 useful ideas, in addition to applying 78 ideas in the course of the past three years. DC has also been awarded the Idea of The Year Award 2015, for the "Amphibious Lab-Vehicle" which was invented by Sami Essa, the Manager of Intelligence Operation at the Customs Intelligence Department. The amphibious lab-vehicle is the first-of-its-kind nationally and internationally in the customs field. It helps to save time, and detect the marine hazards in vessels and wooden ships which come to Dubai ports in large numbers, as the amphibious lab-vehicle can surf the regional waters near the wooden ships and vessels to detect the prohibited and smuggled materials at the bottom of the ships, equipped with developed inspection devices and specific cameras to remotely discover the drugs and radiant materials. The capture processes can also be documented and screened at the same time of the inspection process at the operation room in Dubai Customs. Accordingly the DC’s officials can simultaneously follow up the process at the operation room. Moreover, Dubai Customs has been awarded the Lead Award for The Best Suggestions System Manager 2015, and The Communication Excellence Award, given by Ideas America to the suggestions system manager who is able to motivate and encourage employees to propose new ideas and communicate with them via the latest means and technologies. This was possible through the implementation and use of the best global practices regarding suggestions systems, creativity, innovation, excellence and performance development management. These two awards have been awarded to Hussein Al Fardan, Manager of the Suggestion and Complaint Section in the Strategy and Corporate Excellence Department at Dubai Customs, who played a major and effective role in adopting, following up, and implementing new ideas, using the World’s best means and standards, as well as stimulating the creators of such ideas with creative and new techniques that fulfil whatever DC’s innovative personnel may need. Commenting on these awards, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Chairman and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said: "We are delighted over Dubai Customs winning these five awards. This coincides with declaring 2015 the ‘Year of Innovation’ in the UAE, under the guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the declaration made by the UAE Cabinet in November 30th, 2014, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai." – Emirates News Agency, WAM -http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395286255371.html