The UAE has announced the rollout of the eATA Carnet system today, becoming the first country outside Europe to implement a fully digital platform for issuing and processing ATA Carnets.
The transition to the eATA Carnet system, with the support of Dubai Chambers, represents another step forward in the UAE’s broader digital transformation roadmap.
By eliminating paper-based customs procedures, the initiative accelerates border clearance, delivering a smoother and more efficient experience for businesses while further strengthening the country’s position as a global hub for international trade, major trade fairs, and world-class conferences.
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Dubai Chamber of Commerce — one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers — has been serving as the National Guaranteeing and Issuing Association for ATA Carnets in the UAE since 2011, when the UAE first joined the ATA Carnet system.
The chamber is leading the new phase and has been working closely with customs authorities and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to deliver a seamless customs experience to businesses.
It is one of only 13 chambers around the world to implement the eATA Carnet out of 1,200 ICC-member chambers.
Readiness programme ahead of launch
Ahead of the official launch, the authority executed a comprehensive readiness programme to prepare the national customs ecosystem for the implementation of eATA Carnets.
As part of this initiative, the chamber facilitated technical coordination meetings with UAE customs authorities, hosted online sessions connecting local customs officials directly with ICC experts, and conducted hands-on training workshops for customs representatives.
The chamber also led extensive pre-production testing to validate different scenarios. This helped ensure every stakeholder was aligned and technically ready to adopt the digital system.
A total of 63,591 ATA Carnets have been issued and received for goods and commodities worth Dh54.4 billion since the launch of the ATA Carnet system in the UAE in 2011 until 2025.
Source: Khaleej Times