DED set to honour leaders in quality, service excellence and human development

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Department of Economic Development will announce the winners of the Dubai Quality Award (DQA), Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) at the 20^th Anniversary of Business Excellence Awards. The ceremony will be held on Monday, the 2^nd of June at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. 

Altogether, 35 public and private establishments and enterprises from various sectors, as against 32 last year, will be honoured at the ceremony for their outstanding commitment to pursuing excellence in the domains of quality, service and human development.  The winners were chosen from a list of over 1,700 applicants. 

“The Business Excellence Awards have continued to attract growing interest and participation from companies and organisations since the launch of Dubai Quality Award in 1994. Applicants see the awards as a standard for excellence locally and regionally and it is fuelling healthy competition in the business sector, thus also helping participants to grow further and close gaps,” commented His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of DED. 

Al Qamzi added that DED constantly strive to raise the bar on excellence through the awards and increase participation every year thereby attracting best practices and providing added value to applicants. 

Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director, Corporate Quality & Management Excellence, DED, said: “The response we continue to receive in each cycle of the Business Excellence Awards is an inspiration for us to expand the scope of the award and bring in tougher criteria for evaluation.” 

Before the winners are shortlisted by a panel of jury each applicant goes through various stages including an intense scrutiny of the submission document as per the latest EFQM Excellence Model, mystery shopping, feedback and site visits by a dedicated team of assessors. Every year more than 150 people are trained as assessors, with considerable emphasis given to bring more Emiratis as assessors on board. 

“Every year we conduct a series of workshops for applicants and assessors to brief them on the award criteria and best international practices in excellence. The assessors and the jury are also chosen with emphasis on expertise, quality and sector-level knowledge,” said Shaikha Ahmad Al Bishri, Director, Business Excellence Department (BED) at DED.

The Business Excellence Awards is part of DED’s efforts to establish quality and excellence as a catalyst for stronger business growth and further consolidate Dubai’s status as a preferred destination for foreign investment. 

The Dubai Quality Award winners are honoured in three categories – the Dubai Quality Gold Award (DQGA), Dubai Quality Award (DQA), and the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA). The awards cover key sectors - manufacturing, finance, professional, tourism, services, trade, construction, education, healthcare, real estate, retail and government, as well as 3 new sectors introduced this year which include free zones, transportation and logistics. 

DHDA recognises the long-term commitment of organisations to the development of all employees and its HR initiatives. The award is given in three categories – the Dubai Human Development Gold Award (DHDGA), Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Human Development Appreciation Award (DHDAA). Trade, retail, manufacturing, construction, real estate, professional, services, tourism, healthcare, education, financial services and government sectors are covered by the award, as well as 3 new sectors introduced this year which include free zones, transportation and logistics. 

The Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) is a one-of-a-kind initiative that aims to gain customer confidence and to make shopping in Dubai a pleasure. The scheme encourages, recognises and rewards businesses that keep Dubai at the cutting edge of customer service. DSES comprises two categories - best service performing outlets and brands.