Professional body announces annual conference and Awards night in Doha

Dubai - April 24th 2012: The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), a global not for profit membership organization headquartered in the UK with 66,000 members worldwide, has announced the launch of its MENA office in Dubai. The move comes as CIPS seeks to strengthen its presence in a region traditionally reliant on effective supply and procurement.

"Supply management is highly relevant to the Middle East because the region is effectively an importer and re-router, and its business model relies on effective supply networks. Fundamentally, the success of the region is going to depend on how supply networks are managed to build integral diverse local capabilities," said David Noble, CEO, CIPS.

"We are facilitating members in gaining qualifications and standards required to be successful, and also helping with the certification of processes towards independently benchmarked best practices. CIPS offer companies in the Middle East the reassurance that their supply functions can be certified to global standards to offer the capability necessary for sustainable growth and international competitiveness," he added.

CIPS offers procurement directors and other employees relevant expertise, best practices, tools and the knowledge required to perform their jobs effectively. The membership body also offers organizations CIPS Silver and Gold certifications, considered ISO-like audits for organizations' procurement and supply functions. CIPS offers companies in the MENA region the reassurance that their supply functions can be certified to global standards to offer the capability necessary for sustainable growth and international competitiveness. DMI, mbc, FERTIL, du, ENEC and the Qatar Foundation have all been awarded CIPS certifications after successful audits in the past year.

"There is a big opportunity in the region to build cohesive, integrated supply networks. Procurement and supply management is being seen as more of a strategic function as opposed to a back-office process. This is a welcome change that will help organizations in the region create and take advantage of new markets and find new supply, risk and cost efficiencies," added Noble.

CIPS is holding its annual conference in Qatar on May 6th, 2012, in association with the Qatar Foundation, at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Doha. The conference will culminate with an Awards ceremony and dinner that will recognize excellence in procurement and supply across four categories. 

"The spirit of the Awards is in the opportunity to showcase achievements within the field, and to get external stakeholders and businesspeople to understand the importance of procurement and supply. These awards not only offer recognition to those who have performed well in the profession, but also help CIPS to communicate the nature and importance of the procurement and supply function," said Noble.

The adjudication process is conducted by a panel of top professionals who compare each entrant to stipulated criteria to compile shortlists. The prestigious awards come with high accountability and transparency.

"CIPS is looking forward to supporting the profession in the region through regular networking events, annual awards, and a growing membership base. We are also going to strengthen our physical presence in the region by building a denser network of offices, and having more people on the ground who appreciate the nuances of the market. Our commitment is towards a self-funded model that offers us revenues to reinvest in building and supporting the procurement and supply profession," Noble concluded.

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For further information on the conference and awards, please visit www.cipsmiddleeastconference.com

About CIPS:
The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply is a global membership organization headquartered in the UK. CIPS was founded 80 years ago in the UK, and has been growing rapidly, with 66,000 members worldwide in 152 plus countries.

CIPS offers members networking opportunities, recruitment support, guidance towards best practices, and the ability to work towards certified qualifications. The organization also offers CIPS Silver and Gold certifications for companies wanting to get their procurement and supply functions audited to international standards.

The company has previously held annual conferences in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and will hosting its next event in Doha on May 6th 2012 at the Qatar National Convention Centre, culminating in an Awards ceremony and dinner.

For further information, please contact mena.enquiries@cips.org, or visit www.cips.org

© Press Release 2012