Nasser Al Neyadi: "Dubai Ports and Customs" It is moving steadily to make the emirate the first global center in smart maritime trade management

DUBAI, 4 December / WAM / His Excellency Nasser Al Neyadi, CEO of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, revealed an exceptional performance during the year 2024 that constituted a qualitative leap in the size and impact of the corporation’s achievements, in a new confirmation of the accelerating momentum that Dubai is witnessing in its journey towards consolidating its position as a global economic and maritime hub.

He stressed that the directives and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, formed the basis from which the development plans were launched, which enabled the corporation to strengthen its role as one of the engines of the economy in Dubai and a major supporter of the emirate’s economy, which allowed it to facilitate commercial operations amounting to 708 billion dirhams during the year 2024, and strengthen its role as a financial and strategic supporter of the general budget, and a pivotal pillar in Dubai’s continued progress. It topped the global indicators in growth, sustainability and competitiveness.

This came during an extensive media meeting organized by the Dubai Government Media Office at its headquarters, as part of a series of “Session with an Official” meetings, in the presence of a number of local media leaders and editors of Emirati newspapers, where His Excellency reviewed the journey of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, which began 138 years ago, specifically in 1886, with the establishment of the Imposition Department on the banks of the Dubai Creek, which formed the first nucleus of the trade movement in the emirate, with simple resources and capabilities. Limited to a solid vision and a limitless will, it has today become one of the most prestigious government institutions in the region, as the Imposition Department is considered the “mother of government departments” in Dubai, and from there began the transformation journey that made Dubai one of the most important commercial and maritime centers in the world.

Nasser Al Neyadi added: “Since 1886 until today, the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation continues to embody Dubai’s vision of being the fastest growing, safest and most connected city in the world, with an ambitious leadership vision, and continuous investment in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and sustainability, stressing that the Corporation is moving steadily to make Dubai the first global center in developing ports and managing smart maritime trade.”

Al Neyadi stressed that the corporation has today become a major supporter of Dubai’s economy, not only because of its supervision of Jafza as the largest free zone in the world, but also because it constitutes an integrated economic system that includes more than 12,000 international and regional companies, and provides more than half a million direct and indirect jobs.

He pointed out that there is a plan to restructure the Jebel Ali Free Zone, which will open the way for new expansions extending over huge areas equipped with modern infrastructure, doubling the ability to attract companies and reshaping the investment map in Dubai for the next fifty years.

He added that the organization adopts strict performance standards that make each number a starting point for a new challenge, saying: “The real competition is with ourselves, with the numbers we have previously achieved, and with the ceiling of achievement that we raise year after year.”

His Excellency said that Dubai today runs operations in more than 146 ports around the world, covering 76 countries, and relies on a huge human network that includes 155,000 employees, and this global spread has earned it the title of ports where the sun never sets, in reference to the movement of its ships and their operations 24 hours a day in different time zones. The port portfolio includes: Rashid Port, Al Hamriya Port, and Jebel Ali Port, which is one of the largest shipping ports in the world, in addition to a series of local facilities that support the fishermen sector and activities. Commercial and recreational marine.

Nasser Al Neyadi pointed to a number of projects and initiatives launched by the Corporation during the year 2025 in support of the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, by developing a competitive business environment that enhances Dubai’s position as a pivotal waterway on the global navigation map. At its forefront is the “Dubai Ports Code” project, the first of its kind in the world, to be the specialized guide and reference for developing the infrastructure of ports, marinas and maritime businesses in Dubai and the world, by providing a comprehensive and integrated framework for the technical specifications and requirements for the development and management of ports, marinas and related maritime activities, including the best practices and approved technical specifications for infrastructure in the maritime sector.

On the technical side, His Excellency indicated that the organization is implementing a broad digital strategy that includes artificial intelligence, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and cloud architecture. Among the most prominent projects are “Eye of the Harbor”, a monitoring system that relies on drones and artificial intelligence to inspect infrastructure and ensure the safety of maritime operations, the “Marsa” platform, which is a unified, smart platform for managing and renting marinas, which reduces paper procedures and shortens service time to a great extent, and “Digital 04”, a national company that provides digital solutions that create a qualitative shift in the management of trade and maritime operations globally.

He also pointed out that the foreign yacht sector arriving in Dubai recorded a record growth of 149% during the first half of the year, after receiving 97 yachts compared to 39 yachts in the same period in 2024, adding that this growth reflects the growing international confidence in Dubai as a major station in luxury marine tourism, supported by advanced infrastructure, global services and tourist attractions that place the emirate at the top of the list of the most prominent yachting destinations around the world.

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