First Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit opens at Emirates Palace

Organized by International Emirates Management for Quality (IeMQ), a leading consulting firm providing a total approach for strategy, change management and business intelligence, and Emirates Quality Association (EQA), the Summit is showcasing the unique styles of leadership of distinguished and highly successful UAE leaders. Eleven high-profile speakers are addressing an audience comprised of over 700 decision makers from various government, semi-government and private sector organisations throughout the region.

Badria Al Mulla, President of IeMQ, Vice President of EQA, and Summit Steering Committee Chairperson, said, 'The Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit is set to be a groundbreaking initiative that will perfectly complement the region's efforts to set exemplary standards in leadership excellence. The Summit serves as the ideal platform for sharing best practices and leadership insights with the hundreds of decision makers from the government and business sectors, and we are certain that the inaugural edition of the Summit will have a far-reaching positive outcome.'

Professor Hadi Eltigani, Quality and Business Excellence Director at Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of EQA and Summit Vice President, said, 'The Summit is an important step in the region's efforts towards creating a pool of new-age leaders who have the foresight required to create and sustain all round development and progress. The high-profile speaker line up and the large number of participants that the Summit has attracted are a reflection of the event's relevance to the region.'

The Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit, which is open to all executives, seeks to outline the central role of quality and change management approaches in overcoming challenges and achieving excellence. It also aims to establish enhanced networking initiatives to promote best practices, knowledge sharing and closer cooperation between organizations working in various sectors in the UAE and the region.

'Today's fast-changing business environment requires us to constantly innovate our leadership styles to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity; this Summit will be an excellent setting for participating delegates to learn and apply the best and latest ideas in the field of leadership,' said Mohammed Khalifah Al Qubaisi, the Summit Managing Director.

Ghaith Safia, Managing Director of Stylish Zone, and a Member of the Summit Steering Committee, said, 'We are glad to be closely involved with an event that holds such significance to the region as a whole, as the Summit will drive the region to a higher level of excellence.'

Badria Al Mulla, President of IeMQ, Vice President of EQA, and Summit Steering Committee Chairperson, and Abdullah Ali Al Ahbabi, Director of Government Performance at the Abu Dhabi Executive Council general Secretariat opened the summit.

Eleven distinguished executives comprise the high-power panelists for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit. Broken down into two panel groups, the speakers are derived from various backgrounds, ranging from economic planning, trade organizations, government, oil and gas industry, eGovernment, education, and even the film industry.

Speakers of the first panel include H.E. Salah Salem Bin Omair Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce and Industry, UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chairman, Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi; Mohammed Omar Abdullah, Undersecretary, Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy; Fareed Abdulla, Assistant General Manager, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO); Aida Abdullah Al Azdi, Deputy Director General for Community Services, Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research; and Prof. Hadi Altigani, Chairman, Emirates Quality Association.

The second panel consists of H.E. Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Education Council; Naseer Ahmed Bin Obood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Vice President, eTQM College Dubai; Abdurrahman Ali Al Sheikh, General Manager and CIO, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC HQ); Etisalat; Nayala Al Khaja, the first international independent UAE film director and producer, D-Seven Motion Pictures, Dubai; and Mohammed Khalifa Al Qubasi, Jalasat and Members Affairs Manager, Abu Dhabi National Consultative Council General Secretariat, and the Summit Managing Director.

The event is sponsored by a number of leading organizations and committees in Abu Dhabi, while the official key strategic sponsor of the summit is the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.