Municipality Praises DP World, UAE Region for Contributions to Dubai’s Development Goals

The Dubai Municipality recently commended DP World, UAE region for its significant and long-term contribution to Dubai’s development goals:  “Through the active alignment of its growth trajectory with Dubai’s growth requirements, DP World has been a model for all Dubai companies,” said Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director of the Dubai Municipality.Eng. Lootah spoke at Jebel Ali terminal during a meeting between Municipality officials and DP World executives, headed by Mr. Mohammed Al Muallem, SVP and Managing Director, UAE Region.  The goal of the talks was to investigate additional avenues for policy coordination.Mohammed Al Muallem, SVP and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said: “DP World is always ready to cooperate with Dubai Municipality. We are jointly responsible to the community and seek ways to contribute to the qualitative development of Dubai.  Such meetings are an excellent opportunity to share information and deepen coordination.  As always, we appreciate Dubai Municipality’s strong support.”Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General, Dubai Municipality, said: “DP World is doing a commendable job in integrating its development projects with the needs of this emirate.  Dubai Municipality is committed to the welfare of the people and we deeply value our close relations with DP World, UAE Region and the common interests that bind us.”

Tasjeel Signs Agreement With Dubai Municipality To Test Food Transport Vehicles In Dubai

Tasjeel, the joint venture vehicle testing and registration service of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), recently signed an agreement with Dubai Municipality to test food transport vehicles according to the health specifications and conditions set by Dubai Municipality.

Dubai Municipality used to undertake vehicle testing earlier but has now handed over the service to Tasjeel, to enhance the convenience of customers. Vehicle owners can now register their vehicles and test them too under one roof, starting from 1 May, 2009.

An estimated 10,000 vehicles will be tested per year. The testing procedures will take around 10 minutes and the approved vehicles will be given a card plus certificate.

Ayas Bin Hendi, General Manager, Tasjeel, said: “Our agreement with Dubai Municipality is a testament to the quality of services provided by us. We look forward to further collaborations and to implement other successful projects with Dubai Municipality in the future to provide the highest safety standards for residents of Dubai.”

Khalid Sharif Al Awadhi, Director of the Food Control Department in the Dubai Municipality, emphasised that food transportation is one of the most important aspects in food protection and safety. “The majority of the health problems related to food happen because of inappropriate food transportation. We have established strong relationships with Tasjeel due to their high level of professionalism and the agreement will further enhance collaboration between both parties.”

Tasjeel staff has undergone a special training approved by Dubai Municipality, to perform the new service which covers the testing of all kinds of food transport vehicles. As per the new service, food are categorised as dry, cold, frozen and hot, and stickers of different colours are placed on the food transport vehicles depending on the nature of the food.

The new service is initially available at the Tasjeel site in Al Warsan, which is in close proximity to the Fruits & Vegeatble Market as well as more accessible from other Emirates.

RTA Assumes Management & Operation of Property Accidents Claim System

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced that it would soon assume management & operation of Property Accident Claims services, following the official transfer of the System from Dubai Municipality. Accordingly, RTA will manage the system of accidents inflicting losses to public properties, and assess their scope as well as financial costs, in an effort to enhance customer service, minimize service outlets, save the time & effort, and attain a higher level of customer satisfaction."The transfer of management & operation of Property Accident Claims system to the RTA fits well with RTA strategy of combining all traffic, road & transport systems in the emirate under one umbrella; a step which would save the time & effort of RTA individual & corporate customers. The System, which is interrelated with a number of departments of the Agency such as Maintenance, Parking and Intelligent traffic Systems, will be managed by the Financial Team," said Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency.She added: "This step basically stems from the drive to upgrade the quality of services delivered to RTA customers and aims to achieve a host of objectives that include exercising better control, carrying out speedy survey of losses, and adopting simplified & time-saving procedures. This is particularly relevant as most of accidents and resulting losses are related to the RTA; which is keen on raising the bar on customer service, and offering diverse service channels out of a strategy based on speedy processing and customer centricity.Maitha narrated the mechanism to be observed by saying: "Whenever a traffic accident resulting in damage to any sort of road properties, Dubai Police surveys & registers the accident, and produces a report through the Accidents Systems coordinated between RTA & the Police. The report covers details of losses inflicted on public properties such as roads & transport systems, and properties related to other departments in the emirate of Dubai, depending on the nature of losses. The concerned department attends to assessment and identifying the amount of losses to enable the financial team file claims to the insurance companies or involved individuals.Bin Adai concluded: "The new procedure will combine efforts, and slash the number of service outlets, thereby minimizing disruption and improving quality; thereby contributing to RTA Mission of developing integrated solutions of road systems that are in line with the comprehensive economic development plans in the emirate and at the highest global standards.

First ’Dubai Statistics Center Award’ Announced

Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) yesterday (Tuesday, May 05, 2009) announced the winners of the first ‘Dubai Statistics Center Award’ during a ceremony held at the Dubai Police Officers’ Club. Awards were given in four categories – Government Institutions; Private Organisations; the Media; and Households – which have demonstrated their support towards statistical work.

Arif Obaid Al Muhairi, Executive Director of DSC, said that the award comes within the Center’s strategic framework which aims to activate the role of statistical work and raise awareness in different categories, and added that the award creates an environment of healthy competition. He pointed out that all levels of society, including the government departments and organisations, private institutions, individuals, families and the media have a role to play in supporting statistical work and enhance its direct contribution to planning activities and decision making.

Al Muhairi explained that organisations and individuals can contribute to statistical work, by providing timely, accurate and comprehensive data to the Center when it conducts census and statistical surveys. He said that accurate statistics are also important when issuing statistical indicators about Dubai, which form the basis for future estimates and forecasts, and for planning and decision making. Al Muhairi also revealed that the award will be presented annually as the Center continues its focus on developing the assessment standards of the candidates.

Winners of category 1 – Government institutions supporting statistical work:Five government departments and organisations won the ‘Dubai Statistics Center Award’ for the category ‘Government institutions supporting statistical work’ for the year 2008, these include: Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD), Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai Municipality, Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (DICD) and Dubai eGovernment.

Director of DNRD, Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri received the award on behalf of DNRD, which was recognised for its continuous focus on providing statistical data, despite the complexity of Dubai’s demographic profile. DNRD, whose statistics are regularly used by planners, decision makers and strategic committees, is also an active member of the Statistical Coordination Committee in Dubai.

The award for the Department of Economic Development (DED) was received by Khalid Al Kassim, Deputy Director General for Planning and Development at DED. The department was recognised for its support of statistical work as it is the first department to provide its statistics for electronic upload, which gave DSC access to latest statistical frameworks that are used as a basis for conducting economic surveys in the emirate and for the calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The department is also an active member of the Statistical Coordination Committee in Dubai.

The award for Dubai Municipality was received by H.E. Eng. Issa Al Hajj Al Midor, Assistant General Manager, General Project Affairs at Dubai Municipality. Dubai Municipality is regarded as the pioneering government department to support statistical work in the emirate as it hosted DSC when it was set up and has continuously supported the Center ever since. Dubai Municipality is also an active member of the Statistical Coordination Committee in Dubai.

The award for the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities was received by H.E. Saeed Khamis Al Marhoumi, Assistant Director General of Technical Support at DICD. The department was honoured for its initiatives in collaborating with non-profit organisations and providing statistical data for these partner agencies of long standing. DICD provided data on financial resources quickly and accurately; the information was to be used in a specialised survey as part of the calculation of the GDP.

Dubai eGovernment was also a recipient, with Matar Saeed Al Humairi, Head of Application Management Unit, Government Information Resources Planning Department, receiving the award. Dubai eGovernment was recognized for its exceptional support in providing the technical infrastructure for electronic statistical linking. It was particularly cited for enabling departments and organisations of the Dubai Government such as the Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) to participate at GITEX 2008. DSC’s portal (www.dsc.gov.ae) was launched during the event by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Dubai eGovernment’s activities during GITEX helped the government save on related expenditures.

Winners of category 2 – Private institutions supporting statistical work: Majid Al Futtaim Group, Etisalat and Emaar Properties received the ‘Dubai Statistics Center Award’ under the category “Private institutions supporting statistical work.” The cooperation of the three organisations in the Center’s 2008 economic surveys was highly commended, as they provided their required data in an accurate and comprehensive manner in record time. The award was received by Obeid Mohammed Al Shared, Financial Director, Etisalat; Mohammed Malek, Vice President, Human Resources, Majid Al Futtaim Group; and Essam Galadari, CEO of Emaar Properties. It is worth noting that these surveys provide basic data that are included as inputs for assessing the GDP of the emirate and considered important economic indicators.

Winners of category 3 – Households supporting statistical work: ‘Dubai Statistics Center Award’ for “Households Supporting Statistical Work” is intended to motivate families and individuals to fully cooperate with the Center and respond quickly to censuses and statistical surveys that require accurate and comprehensive data on families. The two households that won the award were those of Mr. Rashed Masoud and Mr. Khalid Hussein Harb.

Winners of category 4 – Media supporting statistical work:Al Bayan Newspaper was chosen as the most supportive of statistical work in Dubai, winning under the category ‘Media supporting statistical work’. The award was received by Hamad Salmeen, Head of Local Affairs at Al Bayan. The TV channel and radio station of Noor Dubai was named the most exclusive and supportive channel/radio. The event honoured distinguished journalists who have achieved their goals with regard to statistical works in accordance with the highest levels of professionalism.

During the ceremony, Al Muhairi also gave tribute to exclusive suppliers in line with the Center’s efforts to build partnerships and promote mutual interests between them. The Center’s outstanding employees for 2008 were also recognized and commended for their efforts and achievements.

Cooperation Between Government Organizations, Dubai Customs Receives A Delegation From Al Ain Municipality

Dubai – A delegation from Al Ain Municipality visited on 2nd February 2009 Dubai Customs as part of a joint cooperation and an exchange of expertise between government departments.

Mr. Ahmed Bin Lahej, Director of Clients Management at Dubai Customs welcomed the visiting delegation underlining the importance of such meetings, which promote government business in a way that contributes to strengthen UAE national economy and deliver higher quality services.

Bin Lahej further affirmed Clients Management Department willingness to maintain all forms of cooperation with Al Ain Municipality for achieving the desired objectives.

A tour covering different Sections at the Clients Management was organized for the delegation where business systems and processes being used in dealing with the public, customs clients and services as well as e-complaints and customer care systems were recognized.

The visiting delegation learned about the Clients Relations Section business mechanism and methodology, objectives and roles and responsibilities, which include but not limited to; receipt and responding to clients inquiries and organizing regular meetings with clients.

A detailed brief was given to the delegation on the customer complaint system adopted by Dubai Customs, which contributed to the achievement of a great progress representing 100 per cent in tracking and handling customer complaints during the 4th quarter of 2008 whereas handling of a single complaint accounted for 2.8/day recording a considerable growth as compared to the 7 days recommended by the Executive Counsel of Dubai Government.

“Dubai Customs continues to deal with customer complaints as an opportunity for continuous improvement and development. It was the leading organization in designing a dedicated e-system for complaint system management seeking to achieve excellence and attain highest performance levels in handling complaints by adopting best practices. Dubai Customs was the first government organization in the Middle East and North Africa to earn ISO 1002 for customer complaints,” Bin Lahej said.

The delegation has become aware of service delivery standards at all 14 customs centers including benchmarking system (relative to standards , processes and results) that leading to achieve best customer satisfaction results by delivering higher quality service in line with serving national economy, local and international security and facilitating legitimate trade movement.

Worth mentioning, Dubai Customs started to implement focus group meetings methodology with different business sectors for communicating and developing partnership with key stakeholders through open discussion with each business category; this move led to greater successes at customer satisfaction level.

Imdaad’s Green Campaign ’Beati’ Off To Impressive Start

“Beati,” the ambitious environment protection initiative launched by Imdaad, the leading integrated facilities management company under Dubai World, got off to an exciting start, generating great response from Dubai’s school children, their parents and teachers. The company is collaborating with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai (KHDA), Dubai Municipality and Union Paper Mills to ensure the success of the programme.

“Khaddour,” the fun-loving “green leaf” character specially created for the project, as well as the drawing and colouring competitions on the environment theme have already become very popular among students, making Beati as much entertaining as educative.

Jamal Lootah, Chief Executive Officer of Imdaad, said: “We are pleased with Beati’s great start. This is a programme very close to Imdaad’s forward-looking plans to make environment the basis of our end-to-end facilities management operations. Schools make the best launching pad for such a far-reaching project since it involves children, and through them we reach out to their families and the society at large. Imdaad is grateful for the support from KHDA, Dubai Municipality and Union Paper Mills. Their collaboration underpins the success of this initiative.”

The Beati programme, which is in line with Imdaad’s increasing focus on spreading green awareness at grass roots level, is being held in Dubai’s schools with the active participation of students and under the guidance of teachers and professional experts.

Armed with the slogan “My environment, B’cos I want my world,” Beati has been emphasising on “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle,” three activities that require concerted efforts to bring about dramatic and positive changes to the environment.

Imdaad created “Khaddour” to encourage children’s involvement, particularly in recycling. The mascot character is themed on “Green,” inspiring children through a coloruing competition where a hidden symbol highlights the object to be recycled.

Brochures and booklets have been prepared to be distributed among children, graphically describing various environmental aspects that deserve serious attention.

The programme also encourages children to take care of Planet Earth through acts in their every day life. A chart asks them to make a daily calendar of activities that can help save power, prevent wastage of water and recycle and reuse materials.

Practical educational activities such as working sessions and lectures by experts, quiz competitions and film shows on subjects related to environment are also part of Beati. The programme initially covers schools in Dubai, not only inside the city but also as far away as Hatta.

A highlight of Beati is a mega contest, which will be revealed on World Environment Day on June 6th.

Beati is one of the many projects Imdaad plans to launch in line with its green approach to core activities in FM. The company’s expansion strategy also places added emphasis on environment-friendly operations in order to support the sustainability drive in the UAE.

Imdaad provides top class FM services and solutions to international clients such as Nakheel, Jafza, DP World, UAE Region, Dubai Customs and Limitless. The company’s operation covers the entire UAE. Some of the major projects Imdaad has undertaken include Palm Jumeirah, The Gardens, Atlantis, International City, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Ibn Batuta Mall, Dubai Maritime City and Wasl-DREC.

DSF Office Briefs DSS Organizing Committee On Plans For 2009 Dubai Summer Surprises

The DSS Organizing Committee convened on Wednesday, April 8, at The Monarch Dubai, as the DSF Office presented the initial plans for the 12th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises that will be held from June 11 to August 14 this year. The meeting was chaired by Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of the DSF Office, and attended by representatives of 19 government departments that make the Committee.

Topics discussed at the gathering included the new shift in the marketing strategy, the main events, and road shows to be undertaken for DSS 2009 in light of the challenging economic situations. Additionally, the role of government departments was also discussed extensively.

Representatives of the following government departments were present in the discussion: Knowledge and Human Development Authority which will be participating in a DSS edition for the first time, Roads and Transport Authority, Community Development Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Department of Health and Medical Services, Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai e-Government, Dubai Media Corporation, Dubai Culture, Dubai Civil Defence, Centre of Ambulance Services, Dubai Sports Council, Watani, and Dubai Shopping Festival Office.

While welcoming all the attendees for the gathering, Ibrahim Saleh praised the role undertaken by government departments during DSS and their efforts in ensuring the event’s success. “An increased level of coordination amongst government departments has been an essential element of DSS’s success and we can be proud of the fact that this cooperation has been and is still a differentiating and stand-out character of DSS when compared to other events in the region,” he said.

Saleh also mentioned that initial preparations for the region’s leading summer event were in place and future Organizing Committee meetings would focus on suggestions from government departments to enhance and finalise preparations.