•The new training unit is part of MoU between ENOC and Dubai Civil Defence to promote industrial safety

•Free training to be provided by Dubai Civil Defence to over 5,000 ENOC staff members

Dubai, UAE; June 1, 2013: In the presence of Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Director of Dubai Civil Defence, an advanced professional training unit for combating industrial fires has been opened in Dubai's Aweer area, as a joint initiative of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) and the Dubai Civil Defence. Senior managers of both entities and other government officials attended the opening ceremony.

The new training unit at the Aweer Civil Defence Training Centre follows the earlier signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ENOC and Dubai Civil Defence to further strengthen industrial and all-round fire safety. ENOC's Environment, Health and Safety Department will provide training programmes at the facility, with over 5,000 staff members of ENOC to be trained in the coming years, in phases. There are also plans to extend the training to other organisations to strengthen the culture of industrial safety across the Emirate.

Saeed Khoory, Chief Executive Officer of ENOC, said: "We are thankful to the Dubai Civil Defence for their partnership in establishing one of the most advanced and professional training centres focused on industrial and petroleum fire-fighting. Millions of dirhams are lost due to fires that can be avoided through safe industry practices and the losses mitigated through timely intervention of trained employees. Dubai Civil Defence does a commendable job in promoting fire safety but it is also the responsibility of businesses to inculcate safety measures as part of their operational strategy."


He added: "The new training unit for industrial fire-fighting sets a new benchmark in Dubai's concerted efforts to promote all-round safety. It will be a significant value addition, not only for ENOC employees, but for the oil & gas industry stakeholders, who can benefit from the rich experience shared by the professionals from ENOC & Dubai Civil Defence."

Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi said: "The Dubai Civil Defence has significantly invested in developing new training programmes, establishing training facilities, and developing advance training strategies, as it is vital for us to respond to the requirements of potential accidents. The strategic plan for establishing the new training unit for industrial fire-fighting, based on the latest international standards of safety training, is therefore important for us. It will enable us to provide advanced expertise in collaboration with our strategic partners. The partnership between ENOC and Dubai Civil Defence is an example of the successful co-operation in enhancing public safety in Dubai specifically, and in the UAE in general."

With a strong Environmental, Health and Safety protocol in place at ENOC, the organisation has rich experience in promoting fire safety, particularly, related to the oil & gas sector. Based on these experiences as well as the formal training sessions of Dubai Civil Defence, the new training unit will offer a full-fledged training module on industrial fire fighting. ENOC will also draw out different fire scenarios, and through collaboration with Dubai Civil Defence, identify industry best practices for managing fire incidents.

The benefits of the new training unit will include minimising losses to businesses through timely fire management as well as mitigating chances for injuries and fatalities in case of a fire incident. ENOC's strong team of fire wardens and field staff will initially take part in the training programmes, following which the entire organisational workforce will undertake the training in batches.

Dubai Civil Defence and ENOC have been working together in the past to host training sessions for employees of the company on fire fighting measures. Recently, Emirates Gas (EMGAS), a subsidiary of ENOC, conducted a 'Safe Cylinder, Safe House' public safety awareness campaign in partnership with Dubai Municipality and Dubai Civil Defence over a year-long period.

ENOC's Environment, Health and Safety Department, annually, conducts a three-day course in the 'Safe Handling of Tanker Rollover Incidents,' attended by over 65 Civil Defence officers from all Emirates as well as Dubai Police.

ENOC is committed to the highest safety standards, and regularly undertakes fire drills and other simulated programmes to ensure that the employees are fully geared to meet any fire incidents.

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About ENOC:
Established in 1993 as a wholly-owned company of the Government of Dubai, ENOC aims to promote the interests of its shareholders through the development of further downstream and upstream activities in the oil and gas sector and beyond, and to encourage the economic diversification of Dubai and the rest of the UAE.

ENOC's vision is to be a leading regional integrated oil & gas group that is highly profitable and socially responsible towards employees, the community and environment. Driving this vision, ENOC is committed to achieving sustainable development and highly profitable growth and serving the growing energy needs of Dubai.

ENOC strives to attract, develop and retain top talent to become the employer of choice, while adopting latest technologies and implementing best practices to achieve world-class performance. ENOC is also focused on meeting and exceeding customer expectations in terms of quality and service, and in maintaining high industry standards with respect to environment, health and safety.

ENOC actively participates in an increasingly broad range of business ventures. Its joint ventures with major international companies allow partners to pool their technology, know-how and expertise along with their resources to further their commercial success.

Since its inception, ENOC has been guided by its philosophy of quality and professional management based on modern business concepts for commercial success and sustainable growth. Today it is poised to engineer a new and challenging period of growth and diversity.

For further information, please contact:
Kelly Home / Mohammed Al Tawil
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller; +9714 4507600
kelly.home@bm.com / mohammed.altawil@bm.com

© Press Release 2013