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United Arab Emirates ready to begin TIR operations, enhancing transit connectivity and driving trade

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that the TIR customs transit system has been fully implemented and is ready to begin operations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the coming months. 


The TIR Convention (1975), which facilitates the transport of goods between countries, is the only global customs transit system in existence. Hosted by UNECE, it currently has 71 Contracting Parties covering the whole of Europe, and reaches out to Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. With this latest addition, the number of countries in which the TIR system is operational is brought up to 59.


The TIR Convention is expanding rapidly, with Pakistan and the UAE’s strongest trading partners, China and India, acceding to the Convention within the last two years alone.The start of operations in UAE therefore further strengthens the potential for the TIR system to transform trade potential along these corridors, linking South Asia and China to the Middle East.


With 45 free zones (including 20 in Dubai alone), UAE is an important trade hub and TIR offers huge potential for improving transit connectivity between ports and borders with free zones and integrating them into the global logistics chain. Further preparations for roll-out across all seven Emirates are proceeding, with plans for TIR intermodal transport operations in the pipeline.


Note to editors

About TIR
The only global customs transit system for moving goods across international borders, TIR “Transports Internationaux Routiers” has been supporting trade and development for more than 60 years, by allowing customs-sealed vehicles and freight containers to transit countries with minimal border checks. It is governed by the United Nations TIR Convention, which is hosted by UNECE, and managed by the International Road Transport Union, IRU. The UAE acceded to the TIR Convention in 2007.

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