Gulf Center for Excellence in Ethics to be hosted at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The center will be hosted at DCCI and make available organizational ethics and governance programs to business and government organizations throughout the Gulf and the Arab world. The Merck Company Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the leading pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme, will provide funds for building the center's ethics training and consulting capacities.

"Hosting the Gulf Center for Excellence in Ethics at DCCI is fully consistent with our mission to be the indispensable source of competitive advantage for the business community in Dubai, and DCCI's vision of becoming the prime provider of value-added services that add to Dubai's reputation as a regional center of excellence" declared H.E. Abdulrahman Al Mutaiwee, DCCI's Director General. " Dubai based organizations will have access to a vast array or resources that will empower them to address issues of institutional integrity, transparency in business and public transactions, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility" he added.

"It is a distinct privilege to be associated with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in promoting organizational ethics in the Gulf Region and the Middle East" said Dr. Stuart Gilman, President of ERC. "We recognize that Dubai's commitment to excellence and ability to emulate international best practices while remaining true to the region's core societal values will give tremendous impetus to the development of the GCEE as a pioneering institution".

"The regional mandate of the Gulf Center for Excellence of Ethics highlights the leadership of Dubai as a commercial hub and the location of choice for business investment in the Middle East" added Nidal Fakhoury, Merck Sharp & Dohme's General Manager for the Gulf.

GCEE activities will encompass relevant research, building awareness of the central role of adhering to high ethical standards in organizational performance and providing training and consulting services to business and government agencies in the design and implementation of ethics programs. Members of board of directors of regional businesses will have access to the resources of an associated Institute of Directors that will offer programs in corporate governance and board development.

"We hope that the Center would form a new transom that would be added to other rafters of Dubai, which support its intensive efforts and enable it to launch its role as a regional center, in order to be globally distinguished in all respects, and to present itself as an ideal pattern in the Region and participate in pushing forward its development efforts." Said Mr. AbdulRahman Al Mutaiwee.