Dubai – 20 Feb 2024: Dubai Customs is actively contributing to the transformation of Dubai into a prominent global and regional hub for cruise tourism. The department is dedicated to raising awareness among travelers on cruise ships, acquainting them with the laws to prevent the entry of counterfeit goods into the country, and playing a crucial role in thwarting such attempts at the borders of the Emirate of Dubai.

To promote intellectual property rights protection, the department organized an educational event at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, delivering lectures to over 5,150 cruise tourists from diverse nationalities. The event aimed to provide comprehensive information on Dubai Customs procedures, the fight against counterfeit goods, and the safeguarding of intellectual property rights. The awareness team emphasized the health and safety risks posed by counterfeit goods and the financial losses incurred by traders and investors. Tourists were handed brochures with information on intellectual property rights protection using QR technology.

Dubai Customs stands out globally for supporting international marine tourism, receiving a five-star rating for best practices in inspecting cruise ship baggage. During the previous tourism season (2022-2023), the department processed 1.8 million bags for over a million travelers, showcasing the continual growth of cruise tourism in Dubai. The current cruise season (2023-2024) is expected to welcome around 150 cruise ships, solidifying Dubai's status as a sought-after global tourist destination.

Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of IPR Department, expressed the department's commitment to keeping pace with the evolving cruise tourism scene in Dubai. Efforts are focused on educating cruise ship travelers about Dubai Customs' procedures to combat counterfeit goods, ensuring they understand the associated health risks and negative impacts on safety. The events we organize at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal align with the department's goal to facilitate the entry of travelers on these trips, contributing to Dubai's recognition as a regional and global hub for marine tourism.

Engineer Saeed bin Faris, the head of the Awareness and Education at the IPR Department, remarked, 'Our efforts to enlighten cruise ship passengers about the fight against counterfeit goods are an integral part of our ongoing initiatives to raise awareness and involve the community in combating such products. In 2023, we successfully organized 131 workshops and awareness events on intellectual property, engaging 1618 participants from diverse backgrounds. The teams dedicated to awareness and education continue their outreach activities, conducting events in crucial community locations. We emphasize channeling a significant portion of these activities towards the younger generation, including students from schools and universities. To support this, the department has introduced the Dubai Customs Intellectual Property Award for Schools and Universities. We are currently accepting project applications for the 2024 edition of the award.'