Qassim Sultan open Arab Lab

As Dubai can now boast of advanced public health services at par with international standards the city is promoting health tourism, he said.
International and regional exhibitors are displaying a wide range of new-generation products for laboratory applications at the show, which will last until February 3.

Sultan said the hospitals in Dubai are now equipped with advanced facilities at par with European standards and are undergoing constant development.

'Though we seek the expertise of expatriate doctors, we are now concentrating on developing highly qualified nationals in the medical profession,' he said.

Sultan said that Dubai Central Laboratory has grown to become a major lab in the region. 'We are now in a process of expanding our services. New labs in cosmetics, home appliances and electrical items are going to be set up soon. We are very particular about maintaining quality,' he said.

Sultan hoped that people will be able to get in-depth information about Dubai Central Laboratory's services that include many fields such as public health, buildings and jewellery by visiting the Dubai Municipality stall at the Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show.

'The show serves as a strategic platform for global and regional exhibitors to showcase new technologies targeting the Middle East and North Africa region,' David Domoney, Managing Director of The Domus Group, organisers of the show.

This year, the show has expanded its exhibitor base to cover six key areas: Automation, Instrumentation, Laboratory Technology, Biotechnology, Robotics and Diagnostics, he said.

'Arab Lab 2005 has attracted more than 700 industry professionals from over 60 countries, including Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Spain, the U.K, Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand,' said Domoney.

Dubai Central Laboratory Department of Dubai Municipality, which has a stall at the show, is participating in the event for the third year, said Eng. Abdullah Al Shaibani, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Technical Services Affairs.

'Main purpose of our participation is to promote our role in the community in protecting the rights of the consumers. We are utilizing this opportunity to explain the public what services we are offering through the Dubai Central Laboratory,' said Al Shaibani.

'We are telling them what are the facilities available at the labs and what are the steps we take to protect the customers. We also tell them what new services are in the pipeline. Because, we have plans to set up three new labs very soon in the field of testing cosmetic items, home appliances and electronic items,' he said.

Al Shaibani said that the consumer protection activities of the Central Lab are co-ordinated with the health sector. 'We are also involved with the activities of the Higher Committee that monitors the import of food items to the country,' he said.

'We are bringing new equipment to test food components as we keep buying new equipment to conduct tests in new areas. We are getting training in conducting new tests, besides being updated on the new diseases and equipments,' said Al Shaibani.

He said that the DCL also follows up the government regulations. 'We are the tool for implementing the Public Health regulations. We carry out specimen collection as we are the technical side to conduct tests,' said Al Shaibani.

He said that setting up new labs is also part of the DCL activities to protect the rights of the consumers. 'We are making Dubai a safe place for the consumers who can confidently buy any material from the market,' said Al Shaibani.

Along with Salah Abdul Rahman Amiri, Director of the Dubai Central Laboratory Department, Al Shaibani honoured two best accredited labs and two best suppliers in the Emirate of Dubai by distributing certificates and plaques to them.

Amiri said that it is for the first time such a selection is being done. 'We had set some criteria to assess the activities of the labs accredited with the DCL and also our suppliers,' he said.

The first prize for best accredited lab award was given to Fugro Middle East and the second prize went to Al Futtaim Body Coat Material Services. The first prize for best suppliers went to Gulf Scientific Corporation and the second prize was bagged by Al Nawras Medical Lab Suppliers.

Amiri said the participation of Dubai Municipality in the Arab Lab and Instrumentation Show is based on Dubai Central Laboratory's commitment to its mission and vision of ensuring consumer confidence in the products certified by the Municipality labs.

He said the DCL stall at the show distributes brochures and leaflets, which describe different services provided by the Dubai Central Laboratory. A film on these services is also shown during the exhibition, emphasising on services of product certification and calibration provided by the Dubai Central Laboratory according to internationally approved standards, he said.

It is to be recalled that in June 2000, the Dubai Central Laboratory became the first department in Dubai Municipality to receive ISO 9002 certificate for quality, said Amiri. 'We are doing our best to follow international standards such as ISO 9001 for quality and we are currently exerting our efforts to get the accreditation for ISO 17025,' he said.

He said that a questionnaire is being distributed to the visitors to the exhibition in order to ascertain their opinions about the services provided by Dubai Central Laboratory.

Amiri said that last year's show had provided Dubai Central Laboratory with the opportunity to showcase the technological excellence of its labs, as well as to educate the visitors and the exhibitors about the various testing options offered by it.