Dubai, March 26, 2005: The top management at the Department of Economic Development (DED) is fully committed to implement quality procedures and improve performance on a sustainable basis according to international quality experts, who visited the Department recently.

A delegation of quality experts from the Virtual Executive Club of the e-TQM College was given an overview of the DED by its top management at a recent meeting under the theme: "Producing Superior Performance on Sustainable basis."

The international quality gurus included Professor James Harrington, Advisory Board Chairman of the e-TQM College, in addition to Professor Yoshio Kondo and Professor Bo Bergman who are Advisory Board Members of the college. They were accompanied by Professor Mustafa Al Shawi, Associate Dean for e-learning Strategy and Technology and Dr. Najwa Dham, Director of Content Review and Publishing at e-TQM College.

"The visit by quality experts from e-TQM College was a significant experience as it enabled DED officials to get an insight about the Department from an outsider's perspective. We would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Mansour Al Awar, Director General, e-TQM College, who has been instrumental in setting up this meeting," said Mr. Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General, Executive Affairs, DED. "We were delighted to note the remarkable strengths of our Department and the considerable degree of pride that our employees have in the organization. We aim to build on these strengths to offer upgraded and enhanced services to our customers," he added.

The directors of various divisions at the DED attended the meeting to present an overview of each division. The experts analysed the current status of the Department, evaluated its strengths and weaknesses and identified areas of improvement.

Commenting on the meeting, Mr. Khalid Al Kassim, Deputy Director General, Development and Planning, DED said: "This interaction with the quality experts from e-TQM college has enabled us to re-assess our policies and strategies and focus our attention on key issues. We will now work towards consolidating our strengths in order to ensure that the Department reaches greater heights of success," he added.

The experts noted that the DED was a truly customer centric organization and was able to offer a high degree of customer satisfaction to its stakeholders.  They also emphasized that the employees of the Department are significantly motivated to improve their performance regularly and take pride in being part of the organization.

The quality experts offered ideas for future action planning and suggested strategies for further improvements and optimization of benefits from current departmental strengths.

-Ends-

Note to Editors:
About Department of Economic Development (DED):
The Department of Economic Development (DED) was established in March 1992, with the objective to organise, regulate and boost trade and industry within the Emirate of Dubai. The DED has moulded its mission of building a futuristic establishment, in accordance with the vision of the Government of Dubai and in the light of globalisation and the requirements of a digital economy. One of its key functions is to encourage local and foreign investments in commercial and industrial projects, and create the appropriate environment for investors. 

The DED's other functions comprise a wide range of regulatory activities including the preparation and maintenance of a commercial register and the supervision of all organisations. The DED is responsible for regulating the affairs of commercial agents and brokers and commercial advertising offices, in addition to overseeing and controlling the insurance industry in the Emirate. Examining the participation of the government in the private sector and representing the government in companies where it has a stake, also comes under the purview of the DED.

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© Press Release 2005