33 companies receive MRM Business Awards in UAE

The UAE businesses have maintained high-class culture of institutional excellence and this was evident as 33 companies were declared winners of the 11th cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MRM) Business Award, the third cycle of the MRM Business Innovation Award, and the first cycle of the MRM Customer Excellence Award during a ceremony held at the Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group; and chairman of Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, gave the awards to winners.

The companies were awarded for corporate performance such as leadership, strategy, employment, competency management, innovation, and providing exceptional experiences to customers.

Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, chairman of Dubai Chambers, said the MRM Business Award, which is a member of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, forms an essential part of the culture of institutional excellence that the UAE’s wise leadership is keen to foster within business communities across the region. He described the MRM Business Awards ceremony as a celebration of business excellence and innovation coinciding with a pivotal moment for the UAE as it welcomes the world at Expo 2020 Dubai, celebrates its Golden Jubilee and maps out a new bold vision for the post-Covid era.

Winners of the MRM Business Award in the trade category included the Arabian Automobiles Company, Lulu Hypermarket - Al Qusais Branch, and Aswaaq Retail. China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East and Alec Engineering and Contracting received the award in the construction category.

Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel from Oman, Gulf Petrochemicals Industries from Bahrain, Unilever (Lipton Jebel Ali Factory), Gulf Rubber Industries, Emirates Global Aluminium and Gulf Extrusions were named as the winners of the MRM Business Award in the manufacturing category.

Tri Star Transport was recognised in the transport and logistics category, while Zulekha Hospital, Global Village Dubai, and Transguard Cash were awarded in the service category. Zulekha Hospital was also named as the Outstanding Winner of the MRM Business Award, an award recognising exceptional business performance.

Huawei Tech (UAE) and Transguard Cash received the MRM Business Innovation Award in the services category. Alec Engineering and Contracting won the same award in the construction category, while Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (GPIC) and Jindal Iron and Steel took home the award in the manufacturing category. Arabian Automobiles Company received the award in the trade category.

For the first time, the MRM Customer Excellence Award was presented to nine winning companies, namely: DP World UAE (transport and logistics category), Riyad Bank (finance category) from Saudi Arabia, Al Ansari Exchange (finance category), Etisalat – Retail (services category), Transguard Cash (services category), Barakat Quality Plus (manufacturing category), Arabian Automobiles Company (trade category) Apparel Group (trade category), and LuLu Hypermarket – Al Qusais (Trade category). In addition, Riyad Bank received the Outstanding Winner Award for Customer Excellence, and Huawei Tech (UAE) was named Outstanding Winner for Business Innovation.

Hamad Buamim, president and CEO of Dubai Chamber and Chairman of the MRM Business Award Steering Committee, said: “Over the years, the awards have evolved into a comprehensive and integrated programme designed to help companies adopt best international practices and 205 companies have been awarded to date, while over than 1,950 applications have been submitted.”

He added that a majority of participating companies in the last awards cycle came from the UAE. A total of 88 companies from other GCC countries, accounting for 13 per cent of all participants, applied to the programme.