DUBAL showcased at MRM Business Awards conference

The one-day international conference, held on 20 September 2011 to launch the 6^th round of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MRM) Business Award 2011,  provided the opportunity for Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL), the entirely state-owned enterprise whose Jebel Ali operation is home to one of the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelters, to showcase the successful strategies that have earned the company wide recognition as the UAE’s industrial flagship. 

Saleh Janeeh (Senior Manager: Quality Assurance & Business Excellence) addressed the conference delegates, who had gathered to learn more about how to apply for the awards and the assessment procedures involved. In his presentation, Janeeh outlined the key elements behind DUBAL’s sustained success since the company’s inception in 1979 — from visionary leadership; through translating a sustainable corporate strategy into objectives and achievable business plans; to a corporate culture where solid governance, strong values, a partnership approach and a commitment to continuous improvement have enabled uncompromised excellence. 

“Above all, DUBAL recognises the value that can be created by being a sustainable business,” says Janeeh. “We have therefore adopted a holistic approach to our corporate strategy and we continually seek to realise value for all our stakeholders through a sustainability-based business philosophy.” 

The approach is encapsulated in the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) concept, which DUBAL introduced in 2005/2006 and has since used as a key tool for translating the company’s vision and strategy into operational objectives, measures and targets. Four core areas are covered by DUBAL’s BSC — Financial Performance; Customer Focus; Internal Process; and earning & Growth — which collectively embrace the company’s business (economic and social performance) and sustainability (environmental and social governance performance) priorities.

“Exceptional success has been achieved by leveraging the BSC framework,” says Janeeh. “So much so that in July this year, DUBAL became the first aluminium smelter in the world and the first manufacturing company in the UAE to be inducted into the Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame for Executing Strategy — an achievement of which we are extremely proud.” 

Held annually under the patronage of H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid AL Maktoum (UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai), the MRM Business Awards are the region’s most prestigious accolades of their kind. No stranger to the forum, DUBAL won the MRM Business Award 2008 in the Manufacturing Category.