DM stall at Arab Lab show grabs tremendous response

The Municipality, represented by Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL), is participating in this annual international trade fair dedicated to the Middle East laboratory and instrumentation industry for the fourth consecutive year. The show will last until Thursday.

'We have taken very dynamic steps this year to market and promote DCL products to a new high. Our participation in this event is also aimed at enhancing our role in the community in protecting the rights of the consumers,' said Eng. Salah Amiri, Director of Dubai Central Laboratory Department.

'We are utilizing this opportunity to explain the public the services offered by the DCL, the facilities available at the labs and the steps taken to protect the customers,' he said.
Amiri said DCL is the backbone of Dubai Municipality for all its testing, calibration and enforcement of some of the local laws.
'We have set an ambitious target to increase the DCL activities by 10% for all its sections. Quality objectives have been aligned with business goals and more thrust have been given towards accuracy and reliability of results,' he said.

'We have launched a new project whereby the DCL will soon get an accreditation for ISO 17025 from UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), bringing DCL at par with other well-recognized international laboratories,' said Amiri. He recalled that in June 2000, the DCL became the first department in Dubai Municipality to receive ISO 9002 certificate for quality.

Amiri said marketing laboratory products, especially testing, is not an easy task and a perfect stage to participate more actively in Arab-Lab was a right decision.

'We developed a meticulous plan and young employees were trained to participate in the exhibition. New product brochures were designed giving full description of all DCL testing and calibration activities. New auxiliary products were also launched such as Geo-Base Maps, which are useful for engineers, consultants and contractors. Standardization activities were re-designed to carefully study the new international standards and how to implement them in DCL,' he said.

'In addition, more research activities were taken in the fields of Food, Environment, Precious Metals and Toys Testing. Side by side Inspection and Certification Unit launched the Product Certification activities to a wider variety of products than before,' Amiri said.
He said keeping pace with Dubai Municipality Vision and Mission, DCL took stronger steps to be the first e-Government Department.

'Today DCL accepts its lab requests online and soon it has an ambitious program of accepting fees also online. This has saved the precious time of consultants and contractors to collect the test results. Decision-making became quick speeding up the quality construction work,' pointed out Amiri.

'With the onset of Bareeq system, more and more gold Jewellery shops were certified to assure the buyers reliable and pure quality of precious Jewellery, which they buy. This year Diamond grading and testing has added another feather in the cap of DCL. Today a Diamond Test Certificate from DCL has earned an international recognition and through out the Middle East countries. This was possible since ultra modern testing equipments were brought in DCL,' he said.

'Customer is always kept at the center of DCL business. Every opportunity was taken to listen to the customers through direct contacts, forums and surveys. Each input of the customer is carefully analyzed. A feedback is taken as an opportunity for improvement and strategies are then aligned to meet the customer needs and make them satisfied,' Amiri revealed.

He said this year in Arab-Lab exhibition, the DCL has come with more challenging testing products such as Gemological testing (Diamond Testing, Gold, Silver and Platinum testing in Jewellery); Home Appliance testing and Certification; Toys testing for strength, toxicity and flammability; Cosmetics for the microbiological testing and other relevant testing; Product Certifications in three new fields; Geobase Maps; Thermal Insulation product testing for Thermal conductivity; Toxin testing in Food (New equipments have been taken in Aflatoxin Lab); New Secondary Reference Equipments opening new dimensions of accurate and reliable results in Force, Temperature and Mass calibration activities; Waste water analysis, Analysis of Sea water, creek side water, Swimming pool water, sediments and soils from sea and creek, waste dumping sites etc. ; Soil, Asphalt and Aggregates testing; Concrete product testing including the type tests; Metallurgical and non-destructive testing; and Chemical, biological, electrical and Mechanical testing.