The President of Customs, Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, who continues to be the primary supporter and guiding force behind Customs Affairs at all levels.
He praised the exceptional efforts of Customs Affairs personnel in both security and customs fields, highlighting their high level of professionalism in carrying out their assigned duties, which have had a significant impact on achieving the strategic objectives of Customs Affairs and on realising accomplishments that enhance its regional and international standing.
The remarks were made in a statement marking International Customs Day, observed annually on 26 January, under the theme “Customs Protects Society through Commitment and Responsibility.” The Customs President affirmed his pride in the achievements of Customs Affairs over recent years across various fields, commending the dedication of its personnel, whose efforts have played a major role in consolidating the high standing it has attained.
He noted that during 2025, Customs Affairs achieved a number of qualitative accomplishments, including the Customer Service Centre receiving the Platinum Category Award under the Government Service Centres Evaluation Programme (Taqyeem), the Land Ports Customs Service Centre receiving the Gold Category Award, and the Unified Customs Clearance Centre also securing the Gold Category Award.
He further explained that Customs Affairs has kept pace with rapid developments in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the services it provides to customers. AI solutions are utilised in data analysis to identify patterns and trends in customs information and to flag shipments or transactions requiring deeper inspection. These applications include analysing truck and cargo data, comparing historical records, and detecting unusual patterns, thereby reducing manual intervention and focusing efforts on high-risk cases.
