Dubai Chamber’s International Conference will announce 8th cycle of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award 2014

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry is hosting an International Conference on April 15 at Raffles Hotel to announce the 8th cycle of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award 2014. For this latest cycle, the award has opened its doors to GCC-based companies as part of the Chamber’s efforts to support institutional excellence in the region. 

Entitled "Quest for Innovation Excellence in the GCC - Shifting Regional Paradigms to a Knowledge Economy", this high-level International Conference aims at prioritising organisational innovation by highlighting the importance of innovation as an essential capability for sustainable improvement throughout an organisation irrespective of its size and type in the UAE and the entire Gulf region. 

The day-long conference, which will be attended by H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Chairman of the Award Panel of Judges, is followed by plenary sessions and a networking luncheon. It brings together a select panel of distinguished speakers including local excellence champions as well as internationally renowned business excellence experts to impart excellence know-how and share their valued experiences from around the world. 

For the first time since its inception, the International Conference will also commemorate the Award Program's expansion across the greater GCC region, a paramount step towards cultivating world-class organisations in the region, creating a competitive business environment, and ultimately enhancing the reputation of GCC businesses worldwide. 

Attendees will be able to learn from leading experts’ perspective on how innovation is increasingly becoming a competitive necessity while gaining in-depth knowledge from prominent local and international business leaders, who will share their expertise and discuss setting high level strategies to the implementation of innovation processes in workforce and talent management. 

H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, Dubai Chamber, will give a keynote address on the “Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award GCC: Enhancing Business Excellence, Competitiveness and Sustainable Growth in the Region”. 

The conference is open to representatives from all types of organisations across various sectors in the UAE, in particular top tier managers, directors, quality and performance leaders and practitioners. 

Main speakers include: H.E. Mohammad Al Muallem, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, H.E. Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman, Drydocks World, Mr. Arijit Ghose, Managing Director, Unilever Gulf, Dr. Shadi Fouad Khawandanah, Chairman of the Board, CEO, Special Direction Group, KSA, Mr. Paul Steel, President and CEO Total Quality, Inc., USA and Senior Examiner member of the Baldrige Board of Examiners, Mr. Alex Budiman, Head of Program Management and Regulatory Affairs, Biosensors Interventional Technologies Pte Ltd, Singapore, and Mr. Ihab Ghattas, Assistant President
Huawei Technologies, Middle East. 

The post-lunch interactive forum will have a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber. The conference will end with a token of appreciation presented to the speakers. 

Since its inception, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award, which is organised annually under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has assisted many companies across the UAE meet international standards and achieve innovative excellence. In its quest to cultivate world-class organisations in the region, the award is embracing GCC companies to align their business practices with the best global organisations and to enhance their competitiveness in the international business arena.