Dubai Customs achieved an impressive milestone in the first half of 2026, processing 21.15 million customs declarations as part of a comprehensive customs system designed to facilitate trade flow and enhance the efficiency of services provided to the business community. This achievement underscores Dubai’s competitive edge as a global hub for trade and logistics services.
Efficiency Through Automation
The volume of declarations processed demonstrates the customs system’s capability to manage millions of trade-related procedures effectively. Leveraging automation, data analysis, and risk management, Dubai Customs has successfully combined speedy transaction processing with precise oversight. This not only supports business continuity but also enhances the flexibility of supply chains.
Impressive Growth in Business Engagement
In the first half of 2026, the number of customs declarations processed automatically reached an impressive 98%, significantly reducing the need for manual processing. This allows skilled professionals to focus on cases that require further scrutiny, perfectly illustrating Dubai Customs’ approach of empowering reliable trade while safeguarding the economy, community, and revenues.
The indicators from the first half of the year reflect a broadening business community interacting with the department. A total of 7,871 new companies registered with Dubai Customs during this period, and 9,365 declarants submitted their declarations for the first time. Additionally, 271 customs brokers registered for the first time, indicating a vibrant business environment in Dubai and the trust companies place in the efficiency of its customs system.
Meeting Growing Demand for Services
Dubai Customs catered to a total of 67,174 service requests in the first half of 2026, marking a 15.1% increase compared to 58,349 requests during the same period the previous year. This surge demonstrates the rising demand for its services and the department’s ability to handle this demand efficiently.
Commitment to Trade Facilitation
Dr Abdullah Bousniad, Director General of Dubai Customs, stated, “The value of customs efficiency is reflected in its impact on business competitiveness and trade reliability. We aim for merchants to find clear procedures, interconnected services, and a system that meets their needs to plan and manage operations confidently.” He added that empowering reliable trade involves accelerating legitimate trade while enhancing their ability to anticipate and address risks accurately. To this end, Dubai Customs continues to employ technology, data, and artificial intelligence to develop its services and direct its regulatory capabilities effectively, ensuring the protection of the community and economy while reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a gateway for global trade.
Integration of Digital Solutions
The department’s operations are built on a digital infrastructure that includes the automation of customs clearance procedures and direct links between business community systems and government systems. Utilizing data analysis tools supports decision-making and enhances processing efficiency, allowing for the majority of customs declarations to be completed electronically while minimising reliance on manual procedures. Cases requiring specialist review are directed to appropriate audit channels, ensuring a streamlined workflow and efficient allocation of human and technical resources based on specific requirements.
Robust Performance and Trade Trends
In total, 47.01 million customs declarations were completed throughout 2025, highlighting the wide range of services the customs system provides to the business community and trade movements through Dubai.
In terms of distribution across ports, air freight accounted for 89.4% of all customs declarations in the first half of 2026, amounting to approximately 18.92 million declarations, driven by the growth of e-commerce and expedited shipments. The land port came next with 1.62 million declarations (7.7%), followed by sea with over 485,000 declarations (2.3%), with the remainder divided among coastal ports, travellers, and mail. This diversification illustrates how the ports work together to support Dubai’s e-commerce strategy and position the emirate as a multi-modal logistics hub.
Leading Traders and High-Value Goods
The top ten clients of Dubai Customs, including express delivery companies, trading firms, logistics services, and airlines, submitted around 4.1 million declarations in the first half of the year, accounting for 19.4% of the total. Moreover, the volume of declarations from the leading client in just six months surpassed their entire total for 2025 by 24%, showcasing the system’s capacity to accommodate rapid transaction growth.
Gold bars topped the list of goods in both import and export activities, followed by smartphones, jewellery, diamonds, laptops, cars in imports, and aircraft spare parts in exports. This highlights Dubai’s status as a global centre for precious metal and electronics trade, aligning with national agenda objectives to enhance re-exportation capabilities.
Risk Management and Compliance Initiatives
The regulatory system assesses transactions based on risk levels, informed by an analysis of customs data, relevant documents, and monitoring information. This approach helps expedite the processing of low-risk transactions while directing verification efforts towards cases that warrant additional scrutiny.
The Certified Economic Operator programme further supports this strategy, with 142 registered companies at Dubai Customs accounting for 40% of total customs transactions, enjoying streamlined clearance pathways grounded in trust and compliance. This bolsters the partnership between Dubai Customs and the private sector in fostering reliable trade.
Empowering Economic Growth
The employment of risk assessment tools, artificial intelligence, and predictive analysis enhances the ability to detect patterns and relevant indicators, supports regulatory decisions, and improves responsiveness to changes in trade dynamics within established governance frameworks.
Through this integration of digital efficiency and intelligent oversight, Dubai Customs strengthens its role in empowering the emirate’s economy, offering businesses speed, clarity, and reliability, while safeguarding community security and economic interests. This approach embodies the department’s commitment to enhancing Dubai’s capacity to connect markets and absorb shifts in global trade, supporting the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and solidifying the emirate’s position as a trusted gateway for trade and a key partner in global supply chains.