Overwhelming response to inaugural Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit

The feedback gathered from the delegates confirmed that they benefited immensely from the presentations made by the high profile panelists during the Summit.

Organised under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Summit showcased the unique styles of leadership of distinguished and highly successful UAE leaders. The one-day Summit was organised 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), a professional association dedicated to enhancing excellence.

Badria Al Mulla, President of IeMQ, Vice President of EQA, and Summit Steering Committee Chairperson, said, 'We are overwhelmed by the response generated by the first Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit, which clearly underscores the importance of organising such a forum in the UAE. The illustrious panelists at the Summit were successful in efficiently sharing best practices and leadership styles with the hundreds of senior delegates at the event, and we believe that this will go a long way in taking leadership and excellence standards in the region to new heights.'

Professor Hadi Eltigani, Quality and Business Excellence Director at Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of EQA and Summit Vice President, said, 'Half way through the Summit itself we realised that we were on course to achieve all our objectives; and the feedback received from participating delegates at the end, testified to our conviction. The Summit certainly empowered participants with knowledge and insight shared by some of the region's most successful leaders who have been leading key initiatives towards excellence in both the government and private sectors.'

The Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit sought to outline the central role of quality and change management approaches in overcoming challenges and achieving excellence. It also aimed 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.

Commenting on the impact of the Summit, Nayla Al Khaja, one of the participating delegates said, 'I am really glad that I attended this Summit, as I learnt so many new aspects of leadership that probably would not be taught even in a business school. The experience shared by some of the region's top leaders was invaluable, and we hope to incorporate most of what we learnt from them in our management practices.'

Eleven distinguished executives comprised the high-power panelists for the Summit. Broken down into two panel groups, the speakers were derived from various backgrounds, ranging from economic planning, trade organizations, government, oil and gas industry, eGovernment, education, and even the film industry. The presentation topics at the Summit included among others, 'Restructuring of Abu Dhabi Government - Excellence in the Public Sector'; 'UAE Society: The Imperative for Excellence'; 'Leadership and the road to excellence - Dubai Police Experience'; 'Abu Dhabi Excellence in Competency Development'; and 'Energizing Emirates Excellence in Education'.

Speakers of the first panel comprised of 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 consisted of H.E. Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Education Council; Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Vice President, eTQM College Dubai; Abdurrahman Ali Al Sheikh, General Manager and CIO, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC HQ); Naseer Ahmed Bin Obood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Etisalat; Nayla 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.

'The overwhelming success of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Quest for Excellence Summit means that the forthcoming editions of the event are going to be highly sought-after, especially since government, semi-government and private sector organisations across the region are committed to achieving exemplary standards of leadership excellence,' said Andrew Hudson, Director of Leadership Program, IeMQ.