UDC to be Silver Sponsor for 2nd Annual Civil Defence Exhibit

Hala Nasreddine, Corporate Communications Manager, said:

"UDC has a long and happy history of working together with Civil Defence, and we are extremely proud of our relationship. We are also proud to be Silver Sponsors of the 12th Industrialists Exhibition and Conference which runs from the 22nd until the 24 of November."

Nasreddine added, "At UDC, health, safety and environmental issues have always been important to us, and the safety and wellbeing of our staff and our customers is always first and foremost in our thinking; and so we are genuinely delighted to take part in this important three-day exhibit in November. We are especially supportive of the theme for this year's event -- "Making our World Safe and Secure."

Because UDC is a company with interests that have a range of possible environmental impacts, it insists upon the highest standards of corporate social responsibility across its entire portfolio. This means that the welfare of employees, the environmental consequences of project activities and the amenity of those living in the vicinity of UDC operations rank in equal importance to traditionally defined profitability.

Regarding Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), across the UDC portfolio, the scale of Health and Safety resource varies relative to the size and activities of the enterprise, but in every case the company is committed to creating and maintaining the safest and healthiest working environments for all those who work with us.

Speaking specifically about The Pearl-Qatar, Saeed Al-Sulaity, Head of Administration on The Pearl-Qatar, added, "The safety and protection of our residents, our infrastructure, and our community is the most important thing, it is our priority."

He added that The Pearl-Qatar provides a snapshot of UDC's dedication to ensuring absolute compliance with Health, Safety and Environment guidelines. Under a Coordinator, a team of nearly 20 officers and assistants conduct daily checks, audits, and site visits across the entire development area. As well as monitoring HSE performance around the clock, the team also manages an awareness and education program, making these considerations a built-in part of operations on the Island.

Al-Sulaity also said that he wanted to thank the Civil Defense for their very supportive role and their contribution in design execution and their actual presence on the Island around the clock, which had a major impact in reducing risks and accidents, and enhancing security and safety at The Pearl-Qatar.

United Development Company found its ongoing work to protect and preserve the environment in Qatar amply rewarded late last month when the company received the Qatar Today Green Organisation Award. The Qatar Today Green Award is the first of its kind in Qatar. It was created in 2008 to raise the eco-consciousness of Qatari citizens and residents.

Concluding, Al-Sulaity said, "As a socially responsible corporate citizen we at UDC are happy to contribute in this important exhibition which showcases what we are doing already. Equally important, it also allows us to meet other people, and other organizations, which are also contributing to this important role; and by doing so we can all discover new ways, and methods and technologies to improve safety standards for everyone."