14 Mar 2007
Dubai: Thirteen Dubai organisations last night received awards for quality service and high performance.
The winners of the 2006 Dubai Quality Awards (DQA) said the achievement will give them a competitive edge in Dubai's increasingly tough business environment.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, presented the awards.
Acer Computer (ME) Limited and Al Khaleej Sugar were honoured in the manufacturing sector, and Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and Emaar Properties were the winners in the tourism and real estate sectors.
The winners from various sectors were honoured under two categories, DQA and Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme (DQAP).
The awards, organised by the Department of Econ-omic Development (DED), take into consideration factors like corporate leadership, service levels, policies, procedures and performance at various levels within a company.
They are modelled on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence.
"This award will make us more focused in achieving what Dubai wants to achieve in terms of higher service levels. It gives us a competitive edge," Hilton Jumeirah general manager Christian Muhr told Gulf News.
"There was an intensive preparation process that lasted nine months in order to pass the assessment. This required tremendous amount of teamwork," Muhr said, adding that it was the first time the hotel applied for the DQA.
Al Khaleej Sugar's managing director Jamal Al Ghurair described the award as an achievement for his company that operates the region's biggest sugar refinery.
An organisation is eligible to apply for these awards every three years.
Performance
Krishna Murthy, general manager of Acer, said his company first received an appreciation award in 2003 and won the coveted Dubai Quality Award for 2006.
"It is a recognition of our organisational performance," he said.
The manufacturing sector dominated the DQAP with three of the nine winners representing the segment, according to the organisers. The programme is open to organisations that implement quality initiatives within their organisations.
Dubai Oil Mills Company, International Rubber Company and National Cables Industry were the winners in the industrial sector.
Dubai Women's College and Dubai Medical College for Girls won in the education sector.
The finance sector awards went to HSBC Middle East Finance Company Ltd and UAE Exchange Centre. The other winners were Apparel (LLC) from the trade sector and Interactive Insurance Brokers Company (LLC) from the service sector.
"The Dubai Quality Award plays a fundamental role in developing the culture of quality and raising the efficiency of applicant companies," said Eisa Kazim, coordinator-general of DQA and chairman of the Dubai Financial Market.
"The award allows businesses in Dubai to develop their performance and increase their competitiveness," he said in a statement.
Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the Dubai Human Development Award for 2006 to three companies for promoting national human development.
The winners were Commercial Bank of Dubai, Jumeirah Group and Tecom Investments.
Apparel LLC and Sharjah Islamic Bank were given certificates of appreciation. The Gold Category Award was given to Dubai Islamic Bank in the finance sector and Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (Dubal) in the manufacturing sector.
Dr Mohammad Khalfan Bin Kharbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry and Chairman of DIB, said in a statement the bank has achieved an Emiratisation level of 45 per cent in its workforce.
The Dubai Human Development Award was launched by the DED to encourage UAE nationals to participate actively in the growth of the emirate.
"DQA plays a fundamental role in developing a culture of quality and raising the efficiency of applicant companies. It allows businesses in Dubai to develop their performance and increase their competitiveness."
By Shakir Husain
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
