Dubai Customs, First Certified Agile Government Organization in the World

Dubai – 13 February 2021:  Dubai Customs received Agile Organization Certification from the American Business Agility Institute (BAI), as the first agile government organization worldwide. The Government Department consolidated its position in agility by obtaining four-star rating, the highest agility rating given by BAI, topping other competitors. The next four competitors in the list were private sector companies from different countries.

The California based institute has 2,500 members from 94 countries around the world. In its report, BAI stated Dubai Customs’ agility stood at 94%, topping 90% of the 1,030 organizations and companies evaluated. These included 170 companies and establishments that work in the same field as Dubai Customs, which means that Dubai Customs is at the top 10% of agile organizations. 

Dubai Customs have passed all the tests and accomplished the requirements applied by BAI for accreditation. Their report stated that the senior management and the corporate agility teams at Dubai Customs succeeded in making the change that is required for a highly agile organization.  
The Government Department was assessed against 15 standards, which include agile mindset and culture, authorization and ownership, diversity, equality and integration, psychological wellbeing, individual development, vision and mission, client focused services, agile operations, external stakeholders, transparency, and quality.

“Dubai Customs has made great progress in building competencies to achieve the highest level of corporate agility,” said Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. “Quick adapting to change and going the extra mile to build products and services that continuously exceed the expectations of their customers is what sets Dubai Customs apart. Businesses develop strategies to manage the future and predicating it, but this works well only in an unpredictable market. We no longer live in such a world. We have to be more agile to adapt to the change.” 
Bin Sulayem added: “This recognition encourages us to walk forward steadily and with confidence to maintain the leading status Dubai enjoys worldwide as part of the national efforts toward the next fifty years and the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. We are inspired by the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and look forward to achieving highest levels of agility to materialize this vision.”

In the same vein, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs said; “We continuously develop our levels of agility within our vision of developing the customs field to achieve best results in facilitating global trade and protecting the society. The standards of the Dubai Government Excellence Progam and the corporate agility model serve as the roadmap that we follow to achieve corporate agility. This renowned certification is reflective of our persistence and hard work. There are corporate agility teams in the department that manage risks and stimulate innovation. This is the prerequisite for going into the comprehensive development in the next 50 years. We have learnt a lot from the current covid-19 crisis, this included our quick response to the emergencies and turning challenges into opportunities. We have dealt with it with professionalism and agility and managed to facilitate global trade and provide quality services during what has been a testing time for all.”