Dubai Customs is sending a cohort of senior managers to Singapore as part of the second phase of its Masar 33 leadership programme, which focuses on developing second- and third-tier executive leaders across the authority.
The Singapore component will be hosted by the National University of Singapore Business School and covers geopolitical developments and their impact on international trade, the future of smart border management, digital transformation, AI applications, and advanced supply chain management.
Before departing, participants took part in a Leadership Council session that brought together executive directors and managers for an exchange of leadership experiences. The session was framed around adaptive leadership and served as a platform to consolidate the learning ahead of the overseas training leg.
Since launching in 2023, Masar 33 has qualified 102 customs leaders through specialised leadership programs and graduated 31 participants from bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in international trade, customs, and logistics. Around 30 more are currently completing their studies.
The programme also has a private-sector training strand. A 32-day course delivered in partnership with Nafis, accredited by the Institute of Professional Development in the United Kingdom, trained 14 private-sector participants, of whom 9 secured roles at specialised logistics companies during 2025. A separate X-ray equipment training programme was launched in January 2026 to improve inspection efficiency.
Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, said the initiative was conceived as a long-term bet on people rather than on individual roles.
“We are not building cadres for current roles alone – we are building leaders capable of leading the future, empowering others, and turning ambitions into lasting achievements. From this premise, ‘Masar 33’ was conceived as a strategic investment in people, aimed at preparing leaders with vision, flexibility, and the ability to make decisions and drive change in an unprecedented fast-changing world.
“We believe that leading organizations are measured not only by what they achieve today, but by their ability to prepare those who will lead their success tomorrow. That is why we are committed to providing the best learning and development opportunities for second- and third-tier leaders through partnerships with world-class academic and professional institutions, ensuring that knowledge from international experiences is transferred and transformed into institutional practices that elevate performance and strengthen organisational readiness for the future,” he added.
Busenad added that the authority measures success by its ability to develop future leaders, not just current output. “Leading organisations are measured not only by what they achieve today, but by their ability to prepare those who will lead their success tomorrow.”
Dubai Customs frames Masar 33 as a contribution to Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda, which targets doubling the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033 and consolidating the emirate’s position as a global trade hub.
