Saleh Janeeh: 'We debated and shared ideas to provide a solid platform for a creative work environment for organizations and companies'

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – May 11, 2011: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Member of the Board of Dubai Economic Council, Chairman of Emirates Group and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Honorary Chairman of Dubai Quality Group (DQG), the activities of the Ideas.Arabia 6th International Conference 2011, organized by DQG, concluded yesterday (Tuesday May 10, 2011). The event included specialized workshops, panel discussions and roundtable sessions that continued for three consecutive days and gathered a selection of participants from various government and private organizations and companies seeking greater opportunities in the field of quality and innovation.

On the closing day, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al-Maktoum distributed awards to participants and contributors for creating the best idea that contributed to the upgrading of work mechanisms, provided innovative solutions in the Suggestion Systems and inspired organizational innovation. The award ceremony was part of the 'Idea of the Year' competition.

Dubai Municipality won the award for the Best Idea of 2011 in the Technology Category with an idea proposed by Ms. Hind Ismaeel Al Rahma, which deals with refurbishing an old device and utilizing it for inspecting Green Building painting. Mr. Iskandar Bishara won the award in the Environment Category, for inventing a waste burning device that utilized energy for heating and making hot water. The award in the Financial Category was won by Al Ain Municipality's Eng. Saleh Al-Mazrouei, who came up with the idea of redesigning the thickness of the asphalt layer in the inner city roads of Al Ain, by reducing it from 11 cm to 7 cm thickness. This idea has saved more than AED 120 million for the municipality, which followed the recommendation. In the Productivity Category, DUBAL won the award for introducing modified transfer tolls at its Ingot Casting Machine. The Health & Safety Category had 2 winners: DUBAL and Al-Wasl Hospital (Dubai Health Authority) for introducing a new service that improves the transfusion outcome of Thalassaemia patients. It was suggested by Ms. Kifah Al-Khatib and Dr. Kareema Al-Arrayed from Al-Wasl Hospital. The last category is for Customer Service and it was obtained by Dubai Municipality, proposed by Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Jaroudi, for inventing a method of waste collection with a large capacity.

The aim of Ideas.Arabia 6th International Conference, in its sixth cycle, was to attract key management technologies to the Middle East, in order to enhance the Suggestion Systems and organizational innovation, provide quality solutions to improve work mechanisms and develop an innovative work environment that allows the business sector to access long-term goals and aspirations, based on ideas governed by quality, excellence and innovation.

The three-day conference witnessed many initiatives, ideas and suggestions in the sectors of excellence and innovation. Diverse panel discussions were organized like 'The leadership role in stimulating creativity and innovation in organizations,' along with roundtable sessions on subjects like 'Does the employee need a training to create and invent?,' 'The quality of rewards needed to motivate employees,' 'How to motivate and develop the process of participation in the Suggestion Systems' and 'The challenges of innovation in the governmental sector in the UAE'.

This year's activities were characterized by more roundtable sessions, professional seminars and dialogues, meetings and shared experiences and expertise, which supported the idea of improving work mechanisms for advancing the Suggestion Systems and organizational innovation, in pursuit of establishing creative work environments for government and private organizations and companies.

In his closing address, Saleh Janeeh, Chairman of Dubai Quality Group said: 'Though the conference lasted only for a few days, it will leave for years abundant fruits that will make us all feel the want, the actual benefit and urgent need, of a conference that continues for years under this title. It embodies a set of objectives relating to upgrading the Suggestion Systems and organizational innovation and providing better quality solutions in these areas, in order to build solid platform for the development of a creative work environment for government and private organizations and companies.'

Janeeh confirmed that 'The conference assumes its unique position from the ideas that were on its agenda that discussed numerous constants and variables that serve the labour market, especially what was debated by participants on the role of effective leadership, challenges faced by government and private organizations, the requirements of talented employees and ways of realizing a creative work environment for upgradation and innovation.'

Abdul Qader Obaid Ali, Chairman of 'Ideas.Arabia' asserted that the conference embodied common aspirations, which were working creatively, improving performance and providing best solutions to advance work mechanisms and Suggestion Systems. He said: 'The ideas regarding quality management and specialized courses approved by Ideas.Arabia, Ideas.America and Ideas.UK, which were discussed during the three-day conference, are very important. This is in addition to the assessment part of the Suggestion Systems that was completed, based on the suggestions of organizations based on their performance and companies and their employees.'

According to him, 'the challenges that may stand in the way of routine, daily work, will rapidly vanish whenever and wherever human beings have access to trust.' The objectives that seem far-fetched and beyond reach, are seen by diligent individuals as being very near, once the vision is clarified from the angles of quality and innovation. And that is the vision on which the hosting of 'Ideas.Arabia' conference had emerged,' he added.

Rehab Lootah, Chief Business Development and Sales, Mawarid Finance, expressed her satisfaction in receiving a certificate of appreciation for the Golden Category from Dubai Quality Group at its sixth session after being short-listed. Lootah was honoured as a representative of Mawarid Finance after becoming a winner in the 'Idea of the Year' competition for the Islamic product that was launched by Mawarid under the name 'eMurabaha', which is an idea adopted by Lootah and launched and implemented by Mawarid Finance. She said that the fundamental values pursued by Mawarid represent its constant pursuit of excellence. She also illustrated the considerable effort made by the company to ensure quality standards and excellence in the award-winning product. 'Although there are several companies that implement it, Mawarid Finance has carried it out in alignment with the ideas summarized in the Dubai Quality Group Award,' she said.

Lootah added: 'It is a great honour for Mawarid Finance to win this recognition,' pointing out that 'this award strengthens our position in the market and demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest levels of service, with the assistance of the best available talents.'