A delegation from the French General Consulate has recently held talks with Dubai Customs that aim at fostering co-operation in a number of fields that include protection of intellectual property, training and exchange of knowledge and experience.
The French delegation, headed by HE French Consul General Mr. Eric Giraud-Telme, was received by Mr. Yousif Al Sahlawi, Acting Senior Executive Director Corporate Affairs, Executive Director of Policies & legislation Division at Dubai Customs. The delegation included Mr. Anthony Brelet, the Customs Attaché in the French Embassy, and Marion Joth, intellectual property consultant in the Middle East.
The talks were attended by Ahmed Mahboub Musabih, Executive Director of the Clients Management division, Dubai Customs, Mr. Abbas Makki, Director of International Relations at Dubai Customs, and Mr. Yousuf Ozair, Senior Manager of Intellectual Property Rights Department at Dubai Customs.
Mr. Al Sahlawi, at the beginning of the meeting, asserted the importance of relations with France which is a strategic partner of Dubai. He explained that the department will pave the way in front of French companies that have business relations with Dubai.
Al Sahlawi said there is a need for more cooperation with the private sector in France regarding the protection of intellectual property and brands owned by French companies through the training courses carried out by the department to its staff to help them distinguish original products from fake ones in co-operation with brand owners. He added that Dubai Customs looks forward to co-operating with French academic customs bodies in the field of training and qualification of human resources of Dubai Customs.
Al Sahlawi said that trade exchange between France and Dubai has risen 4.5% during the first nine months of this year to reach AED 6.6 billion compared to AED 6.3 billion of the same period last year. Imports from France occupied the biggest share of these trade exchanges. They reach 92% of the total trade exchanges or AED 6.1 billion. Dubai direct exports to France totaled AED 134 million, and re-exports registered AED 428 million.
Perfumes are the most prominent French exports to Dubai. They totaled AED 615 million, or 10% of the total imports. Airplane spare parts came second totaling AED 610 million. Ceramic, meanwhile, is one of the most prominent direct Dubai exports to France.
For his part, French Consul General stressed the importance of relations with Dubai. HE said that Dubai Customs play a significant role in upgrading status of Dubai as a regional trade hub expressing the French side willingness to cooperate with Dubai in all fields through holding training courses and workshops, the exchange of knowledge and experience, dispatching cadres from Dubai Customs to French academies, and bringing academic experts to start courses and training workshops in Dubai.
During the talks, Mr. Ahmed Musabih talked about Dubai Customs’ efforts to enhance its relations with private sector partners through formation of the Advisory Board which contains a number of companies working in Dubai stressing the fact that the department is keen to strike balance between facilitation of trade and protection of country from the entry of prohibited items. He said: “We are keen to use the latest technology in this respect, and it is very important to exchange information and register companies that own brandsâ€.
