Dubai – 24 December 2025: Dubai Customs organized a series of special awareness workshops as part of the “Neighborhood Councils” initiative, targeting different community groups in the Umm Suqeim and Al Rashidiya areas. The initiative reflects Dubai Customs’ commitment to strengthening the culture of intellectual property protection and innovation, in line with its national responsibility to safeguard the economy and support the country’s creative landscape. Through “Neighborhood Councils,” the organization ensures direct community engagement across all segments, with the Intellectual Property Rights Protection Department working alongside the Corporate Communications Department to share knowledge and curb the circulation of counterfeit products.
Mansour Al Malik, Executive Director of Policy and Legislation at Dubai Customs, emphasized that the department is steadily moving towards establishing a community environment that is aware of intellectual property rights, saying: ‘At Dubai Customs, we are working to build comprehensive and sustainable awareness among various segments of society, because protecting intellectual property is not only the responsibility of regulatory authorities, but also a culture that must be embraced by every individual. Through our awareness programs and field initiatives, we are keen to enable the public to recognize the dangers of counterfeit products and their impact on the economy, health, and safety.’
Mr. Al Malik added: ‘Our customs teams continue to enhance their readiness to thwart attempts to smuggle counterfeit and adulterated goods through Dubai’s customs ports, using the latest technologies and smart targeting systems, thereby ensuring the protection of local markets and safeguarding the rights of innovators, investors, and trademark owners. Our integrated awareness and control efforts are an extension of Dubai Customs’ role in supporting the national economy and establishing a competitive environment based on creativity and innovation.’
He added, “Engaging senior citizens and government employees reflects our ongoing efforts to build effective community partnerships and ensure that awareness messages reach all segments of society. These activities demonstrate Dubai Customs’ commitment to developing new tools that deliver educational content in engaging and interactive ways.”
Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of IPR Department at Dubai Customs, said the initiative aligns with the organization’s vision to broaden community awareness of intellectual property rights. “At Dubai Customs, we consider promoting intellectual property culture an investment in the community’s present and future. Through these workshops, we aim to reach diverse groups with interactive methods that strengthen their ability to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit goods, while empowering them to contribute to protecting the national economy and supporting innovators and creators.”
For her part, Noof Al Belabd, Senior Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, noted that Dubai Customs’ participation in the Neighborhood Councils initiative aligns with the country’s “Year of Community,” which seeks to strengthen social cohesion and reinforce shared responsibility. She explained that the Dubai Customs is dedicated to steering its community programs toward sustainable behavioral change that nurtures respect for intellectual property, expands community impact, and ensures that awareness messages reach everyone.
Fatma Al Blooshi, Awareness and Education Officer at Dubai Customs, supervised the design and delivery of the awareness program in collaboration with Zainab Habib, Senior Awareness and Education Officer. The first workshop, held at the Umm Suqeim Council, targeted employees of the Community Development Authority and focused on the fundamentals of intellectual property protection. It featured educational and entertaining questions that simplified legal concepts in an innovative and engaging way, helping participants better understand the importance of safeguarding innovation and fostering a safe creative environment.
At the Al Rashidiya Council, Fatma Al Blooshi delivered a workshop tailored to senior citizens, offering clear explanations of intellectual property concepts and their positive impact on society. The session included interactive segments specially designed for this group, presenting information in a way that resonated with their daily realities and rich life experiences. The workshop was met with notable engagement and appreciation from participants.