Dubai Customs recently met with key media entities in the UAE seeking to explore ways to enhance coverage of the discussions between border security agents and government bodies at an upcoming IT conference.

The WCO IT Conference and Exhibition 2013 is being held for the first time in the Middle East from May 14 to 16 at Atlantis – The Palm under the theme ‘Effective Solutions for Coordinated Border Management’.

Led by Yousif Al Sahlawi, senior executive director, Corporate Affairs, and Khalil Saqer bin Gharib, director of Corporate Communications, the Dubai Customs team visited local and international television networks and news agencies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi including Abu Dhabi TV, CNBC Arabiya, Sky News, WAM, Reuters and AFP.

Al Sahlawi said: "Dubai Customs has always enjoyed a strong relationship with media organizations. We regard the media as an influential partner that is crucial to our role as key contributors to the national economy and security.

“As hosts of an event such as the WCO Conference and Exhibition, which is being held for the first time in the Middle East, we will once again rely on the media to help us connect with the public and other stakeholders to raise awareness on the industry shaping outcomes of the event.

"More specifically, our visits to the media organisations helped us articulate our appreciation of the enormous work that they do in compiling the news and communicating them to audiences in the shortest possible time. We also expressed our continued support to ease their work in spotlighting global events that Dubai Customs helps organise,” he added.

The WCO IT Conference and Exhibition is an annual event envisioned by the World Customs Organization to highlight new approaches to Customs IT and emphasize the impact of closer cooperation with global border regulatory agencies.

The event is expected to witness the participation of more than 1,000 professionals representing the World Customs Organization and customs departments of over 100 countries. – TradeArabia News Service