Dubal sponsors ideas.arabia conference for third time
Aluminium giant continues to pioneer employee involvement and suggestion schemes in the Middle East.
Confirming its commitment to development through innovation, Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (“DUBAL”) is the main sponsor of the Ideas.Arabia 3rd International Conference 2008, for the third consecutive year. Organized and hosted by the Ideas.Arabia subgroup of the Dubai Quality Group – a non-profit organization that offers many knowledge-sharing and programmes to its members – the event will once again bring global knowledge on Suggestion Schemes and their benefits to the Middle East, thereby sharing international best practice with local players.
The two-day Ideas.Arabia 2008 conference will be held in the Majlis Ballroom, Madinat Jumeirah on 21 and 22 April, under the patronage of H H Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group. A one-day workshop will be held for members of the Ideas.Arabia subgroup immediately prior to the conference, on 20 April. The keynote sessions, presentations and discussions will be guided by the central theme, namely “Living Innovation”.
The seventh largest producer of high quality primary aluminium in the world, Dubai’s industrial flagship, a pioneer of employee involvement programmes through its own Suggestion Scheme, and the founder of the Ideas.Arabia subgroup, DUBAL has an established reputation as a quality-driven organization that thrives on continuous improvement, much of which is based on employee involvement. “At DUBAL, we consider our employees to be our greatest asset,” explains Khalid E Buhumaid, General Manager: Corporate Relations and International Affairs and official spokesperson of DUBAL. “Moreover, we follow the guidance of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum (UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of DUBAL) in terms of encouraging and highlighting the importance of employee participation. Accordingly, We place our employees at the forefront by encouraging and rewarding their suggestions to enhance our productivity, minimise energy usage, protect the environment and improve DUBAL’s safety records.”
Since its inception 27 years ago, the DUBAL Suggestion Scheme has been remarkably successful: the cumulative savings arising from implemented suggestions has reached almost AED 73 million over this period. During 2007 alone, 19,700 suggestions were submitted to the scheme (the highest-ever annual total), of which 10,119 were implemented and awarded, together giving an audited savings of AED19 million. The scheme also achieved 100% participation from eligible employees in 2007, for the second year in a row.
As in previous years, Ideas.Arabia 2008 also includes the annual Ideas.Arabia Idea of the Year Competition, which aims to recognize the most significant ideas implemented by members throughout the calendar year. “DUBAL won three awards at the Ideas.Arabia Idea of the Year Competition 2007, namely Idea of the Year; the Health and Safety Award; and the Environmental Award,” adds Buhumaid. “Given the sustained high calibre of the suggestions made by our employees during 2007, we are quietly confident that DUBAL will triumph again in this year’s competition.”
