Dubai Customs on 26 July 2026 revealed two pilot projects—OCTA, an enterprise-intelligence dashboard, and an Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system—that use artificial-intelligence analytics to screen shipments before they reach UAE ports and airports. The initiatives, updated on 27 July on the agency’s website, aim to balance trade facilitation with tighter security as geopolitical volatility places fresh demands on border agencies. OCTA collates historical declarations, risk profiles and real-time trade data, delivering predictive insights to officers and enabling faster release or targeted inspection. ACI, meanwhile, requires carriers to submit manifest details in advance, allowing algorithms to flag anomalies or high-risk consignments. Together, the systems are expected to cut inspection times, reduce congestion at Jebel Ali Port and Dubai International Airport, and create a digital audit trail for traders. For multinational supply-chain managers, the shift means more stringent data-submission deadlines but faster clearance for compliant shipments. Companies should review electronic-data-interchange (EDI) capabilities to ensure manifests are transmitted in the correct format and timeframe, avoiding late-filing penalties or delays. Logistics providers anticipate that ‘green-lane’ clearance could shorten end-to-end transit by 12-24 hours once the pilots scale up. Dubai Customs frames the move as part of the emirate’s D33 economic agenda to double foreign trade and support AI adoption. The projects also dovetail with broader GCC plans to introduce a region-wide cargo-information exchange, suggesting that early compliance will give companies a competitive edge across multiple markets. Customs brokers encourage importers to participate in the pilot to familiarise themselves with the new risk-scoring models; early engagement could yield trusted-trader status and reduced guarantee requirements once the system becomes mandatory.
Source: Dubai Customs – News Centre
