Dubai Customs Deploys AI to Screen Cargo Before It Reaches Port
Customs authority tests AI systems to screen shipments before port arrival
Dubai Customs is running live pilots of two artificial intelligence systems, OCTA and ACI, that are designed to move the authority’s decision-making upstream, before cargo physically arrives at the emirate’s ports and airports.
The two systems represent a concrete shift toward anticipatory customs operations. OCTA functions as an enterprise intelligence platform, converting large volumes of institutional information into actionable recommendations for policymakers and operational teams. ACI, the Advance Cargo Information system, applies machine learning to shipment data received before goods cross borders, allowing customs teams to identify potential risks and allocate inspection resources more strategically.
Both pilots sit inside the Dubai Customs 2030 artificial intelligence strategy, launched in October 2025. That roadmap is built around five principal pillars and aims to integrate AI across the entire customs ecosystem rather than treating it as an add-on to existing processes.
Adel Al Suwaidi, Director of the Strategy and Corporate Excellence Department at Dubai Customs, said the authority is developing an integrated enterprise intelligence ecosystem in which AI supports performance improvement, innovation and decision-making aligned with international best practices. Running OCTA and ACI through pilot phases, he explained, allows Dubai Customs to refine both systems before full deployment and ensure they deliver measurable value for employees, customers and the broader business community.
OCTA uses natural-language understanding to strengthen knowledge management and analyze information across policies, procedures and services. The system generates recommendations that give employees faster access to institutional knowledge and help decision-makers identify patterns, priorities and potential improvements. Processing institutional data, it is intended to support the development of new policies while helping teams assess organizational performance.
ACI takes a different angle. It reviews cargo manifests and customs data before shipments reach Dubai, giving officials additional time to assess potential risks. The platform consolidates several earlier risk-classification systems into one AI-powered environment and integrates blockchain technology to protect the reliability and integrity of information received from original data sources. Machine learning allows analytical performance to improve as the system processes additional data. Dubai Customs first presented ACI publicly at GITEX Global 2025 as an integrated platform capable of improving shipment processing, customs security and risk analysis.
Meanwhile, Director-General Dr. Abdulla Busenad framed the investment in direct operational terms. Every smart initiative, he said, was designed to facilitate commerce, strengthen investor confidence and prepare the customs ecosystem for future requirements. The objective was to turn data into insights, insights into decisions and decisions into measurable economic impact.
The numbers behind the existing infrastructure give that ambition some grounding. Between March 1 and June 30, 2026, Dubai Customs’ Green Corridor handled more than 203,242 containers carrying over 3.16 million tonnes of goods valued above AED33.9 billion from 188 countries. During the same period, the authority maintained an instant-clearance rate of 93 percent. Economic-support measures provided more than AED79 million in liquidity to private companies and attracted over 4,000 new customers.
Complementing OCTA and ACI is the Shahin cargo-monitoring platform, which uses satellite technologies and electronic smart seals to track trucks from customs entry points to their final destinations. The system sends alerts when vehicles deviate from approved routes and operates alongside pre-clearance procedures and the Green Corridor initiative to reduce waiting times and support supply-chain continuity.
The updated 2026-2030 strategic plan positions AI as a central element of institutional decision-making, focusing on anticipating challenges, improving data quality and developing a smarter risk-management ecosystem. It supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33’s objective of doubling Dubai’s economy and expanding trade during the agenda’s implementation period.
Whether the two pilots translate into full operational deployment on the timelines the strategy sets out will be the practical test of whether the authority’s ambitions hold.
Q&A
What are the two AI systems Dubai Customs is piloting and what do they do?
OCTA is an enterprise intelligence platform that converts institutional information into actionable recommendations for policymakers and operational teams. ACI (Advance Cargo Information system) applies machine learning to shipment data received before goods cross borders to identify potential risks and allocate inspection resources strategically.
What operational performance did the Green Corridor achieve between March and June 2026?
The Green Corridor handled more than 203,242 containers carrying over 3.16 million tonnes of goods valued above AED33.9 billion from 188 countries and maintained an instant-clearance rate of 93 percent during this period.
How does the Shahin platform support customs operations?
Shahin is a cargo-monitoring platform using satellite technologies and electronic smart seals to track trucks from customs entry points to final destinations. It sends alerts when vehicles deviate from approved routes and operates alongside pre-clearance procedures and the Green Corridor to reduce waiting times.
What is the strategic framework for these AI initiatives?
Both OCTA and ACI pilots sit within the Dubai Customs 2030 artificial intelligence strategy launched in October 2025, which is built around five principal pillars and aims to integrate AI across the entire customs ecosystem rather than treating it as an add-on to existing processes.