Quality Movement in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE ), located in the Middle East , with a population of
approx. 3 million comprises of 7 Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman,
Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain. Abu Dhabi is the capital. UAE is truly
a cosmopolitan country. It is not uncommon to find people from 30 plus
nationalities working together as a team in a company of 3000 employees.
Though UAE appears as a tiny dot on the world map but has been at the
forefront of adopting latest management techniques including Quality
Management. As early as 1994, under the dynamic and visionary leadership of
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of
Dubai, took the first strategic initiative of instituting Dubai Quality Award (DQA)
for private sector. DQA was developed based on Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award of US. Around the same time a small group of Managers, like Mr.
Glyn Ashley, Prem Upadhyaya, Farid Mohammed Ahmed, Monish Roy etc. took
the initiative of founding Dubai Quality Group (DQG) with the blessings of
Department of Economic Development of Dubai. Today, DQG has a membership
of over 300 corporate houses and has played a significant of actively promoting
Quality not only in Dubai but also all over the Gulf.
While lot was happening at Government and Managers level, in 1993 University
of Woollongong, Australia started its Masters Program in Quality Management in
Dubai. Many practicing Managers started enrolling as students and visiting
Faculty in the program. This provided desired support for the requisite
theoretical concepts coupled with practical case studies.
This set the quality movement in motion in UAE. Many companies in all sectors
of economy - trading, construction, banking, hospitality, manufacturing, ports etc.,
from public or private sector, small or large enterprises started using Quality as
one of the strategies to enhance their performance and competitiveness.
Typically companies started with ISO : 9000 and as a result many Quality
management Consultants from UK, India, Europe etc. started visiting UAE to
provide consulting and training support. This led to many Quality System
Certification bodies like Lloyds, BvQI, DNV, RwTUV etc. and Consultants setting
up offices in UAE. It is understood that more than 1000 certificates to ISO 9001/
9002 have been issued so far in UAE.
With the foundation for Quality firmly laid and companies realizing its benefits,
the movement got a major shot in the arm with Dubai, the City of Gold
setting up Dubai Government Excellence Program for Government Departments
and companies like Police, Municipality, Customs, Port etc.
Not far behind, in 1999 Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI)
instituted Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) for different sectors like
Tourism, Manufacturing, Services, Financial, Construction. SKEA is modeled on
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European Quality Award. DQA business excellence model has also now been
changed from Baldrige to European Quality Award model. ADCCI is also in the
process of setting up Abu Dhabi Quality Forum.
Some of winners of Quality Awards in UAE are:
Dubai Quality Award
Dubai Aluminum Limited
Emirates Petroleum Products Co.
Federal Express
Mashreq Bank
Forte Grande Hotel
Dubai Cable Company
Emirates Transport
Welcare Hospital
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Oman Insurance Company

Dubai Government
Excellence Award
Dubai Municipality
Dubai Police Criminal
Investigation
Dubai Ports Authority

Sheikh Khalifa Excellence

Award
Al Bawardi Group
Advanced Pipe and Cast
Federal Express

Quality awards provided a good opportunity to practicing Managers to be trained

as Assessors and Senior Assessors for DQA & SKEA. This has significantly
enhanced the awareness of business excellence models in the community and
Assessors can use the learning in their own companies. Some of the ASQ
members Mr. J.C. Achinadka, Dr. Mohamed Guidoum and Mr. Sunil Thawani
have actively contributed to the DQA/ SKEA assessment process.
In addition to above initiatives, ASQ members in UAE, about 35 plus, meet on a
regular basis to share best practices, learn from each others experiences and
network. Some of the visiting ASQ members from other countries like Prof. Manu
K. Vora, Vice President, ASQ, USA, Mr. Janak Mehta, Managing Director TQMI,
India, Dr. Hans Bajaria, Fellow ASQ and President, Multiface Inc., USA have also
addressed ASQ members.
Under the auspices of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry the 1 st
Abu Dhabi Quality Conference and Exhibition was organized in 1999. ASWQ has
been a major supporter of this conferences with Mr. Steven F. Ungvari & Ms.
Sheila Kessler sharing their expertise.
M/s Tatweer, Abu Dhabi took initiative in the year 2000 to organize monthly
Quality Evenings(QE) wherein noted Speakers from different organizations
shared best practices.
Winners of Dubai Quality Award and others share their experience in Share
Best Practices organized by Dubai Quality Group.
The local Newspapers Gulf News and Khaleej Times have also contributed to
Quality movement by bringing out regular supplements on TQM & ISO : 9000.
Quality World, published by ASQ International Chapter & Gazetta Global, recent

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e-newsletter of ASQ is circulated to few non ASQ Members in UAE to spread

awareness of quality and ASQ.
As most of us know Quality is a never ending journey and with many companies
certified to ISO : 9000 several have moved up the ladder with implementing
other improvement methodologies like Suggestion Scheme/ Employee
Involvement Schemes , Business Process Reengineering, Customer care
strategies, Balance Score Card, Process Measurement. ISO : 14000, Integrated
Management Systems, Business Excellence Models etc.
Other companies in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah etc. have also started
quality initiatives and movement is slowly gaining momentum.
With the major drive for e-commerce in the country, Quality professionals will
face new kind of challenges in years to come. Quality & IT professionals would
need to work more closely than ever before to ensure that newly designed IT
enabled processes are efficient, customer driven and above all user friendly.
With DQG, ASQ, DQA, SKEA, Quality Evenings (QE) etc. one of the intangible
benefits has been the creation of & a community of Quality professionals in
the Emirates and very good networking.
There is also good opportunity and need to start other initiatives like National
Quality Month, Quality education in schools (e.g. Koalty kid program),
establishing Quality Awards by large corporate houses for their various business
units as has been done by many corporations like Phillips, Westinghouse, etc.
With UAE recently becoming full member of ISO, Geneva and various other
ongoing initiatives, the future of Quality movement in UAE seems quite promising
and continuously evolving.
By Sunil Thawani
ASQ Country Councilor, UAE
thawani@emirates.net.ae

C:\My Documents\ASQ\Global Gazeta2.doc

Copyright Sunil Thawani

Created on 3/26/2001 10:26 AM