These included Acer Computer (ME) Limited and Al Khaleej Sugar (L.L.C) from the manufacturing sector, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah from the tourism sector and Emaar Properties PJSC from the real estate sector.

Thirteen organisations spanning various economic sectors were awarded in the 2006 cycle of the Dubai Quality Award. The winners were honoured in two categories which are the DQA and the Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme (DQAP) at a ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

The Dubai Quality Award Appreciation Programme is open to organisations that are committed to excellence and have begun to implement quality initiatives within their organisations. The manufacturing sector dominated the DQAP this year with three of the nine winners representing this sector. These included Dubai Oil Mills Company, International Rubber Company and National Cables Industry.

The education sector had two winners in the DQAP category - Dubai Women's College and Dubai Medical College for Girls. The finance sector also had two winners - HSBC Middle East Finance Company Ltd and UAE Exchange Centre. The other winners included Apparel (L.L.C) from the trade sector and Interactive Insurance Brokers Company (L.L.C) from the service sector.

'Dubai Quality Award plays a fundamental role in developing the culture of quality and raising the efficiency and productivity of applicant companies. Its effectiveness is demonstrated with an increasing number of companies investing in excellence as is demonstrated by the participation in the award,' said Mr Essa Kazim, coordinator general of the Dubai Quality Award and director general of Dubai Financial Market.

'The DQA model and criteria is regarded as one of the important mechanisms in raising the effectiveness of Dubai's various business sectors. The Award provides a complete framework that allows businesses in Dubai to develop their performance and increase their competitiveness, thereby contributing to both their own growth and the growth of the economy. Thus, the award has become an ongoing process of continuous improvement whereby companies measure the level of their performance and success,' added Mr. Kazim.

Each submission of the DQA is reviewed by a group of assessors according to the procedures laid down by the Dubai Quality Award Secretariat, which is modelled on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence. After the entries have been reviewed, a panel of jury members interviews the teams from the applicant companies to approve the list of potential winners. The results of the assessment are later reviewed by the supreme committee, which include a number of chief executive officers and director generals in Dubai.

'As we honour and award these outstanding organisations, we are also honouring the role of their employees in embracing excellence and boosting the organizational competitiveness of their companies locally, regionally and globally. This in turn underscores their role in the country's economic development,' added Mr. Kazim.

Mr. Kazim praised the assessors, jury members and the supreme committee who spent valuable time in reviewing and assessing the applications in a detailed and professional manner.