Dubai 2003 Organising Committee reviews food safety preparations for Annual Meetings

"Organising Committee members will regularly visit various facilities such as the Dubai International Airport where the participants will arrive, hotels where they will stay, the roads on which the participants are scheduled to travel and the Dubai International Convention Centre (DICC), where the meetings will be held," said H.E. Qassim Sultan, Head of the Organising Committee and Director General of Dubai Municipality.

"They will personally supervise the preparations and progress of all work under their responsibility and will brief staff at each station about the importance of the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund," Sultan added.

"There is no doubt that H.H. Sheikh Mohammed's follow-up on the work of the Organising Committee has encouraged us to work as hard as him to support our areas of responsibility with site visits," said the Head of the Organising Committee during the weekly meeting.

He said H.H. Sheikh Mohammed's directives reinforce the instructions of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Head of the Dubai 2003 Steering Committee, who has instructed us from day one to work as a solid cohesive unit.

"It is our duty to follow instructions and to ensure the success of each new project or event that the UAE and Dubai come up with so as to enhance the image of the country and the emirate on the global map."

Sultan said: "The Organising Committee is making every effort to ensure the success of the Annual Meetings and through this success, to demonstrate the ability to attract and host top-class international events".

The weekly meeting also reviewed a presentation from the Food Control Section of Dubai Municipality, which has made preparations to ensure the safety and quality of food that will be served during the event at hotels and at the DICC. It is making sure that international standards are being followed for food stocking, preparation and serving and taking samples for checking at its laboratories.

The Organising Committee also discussed the progress at all levels and the tests that are being done to ensure maximum readiness of manpower and facilities.

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund were first held in Washington DC in 1946. They are hosted by an international city one year in three. The UAE and Dubai were selected because of their highly developed transportation and logistics infrastructure, growing importance as a financial hub and its established position as an oasis of opportunity.