Drive to improve quality standards in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), responsible for the development of quality infrastructure and raising awareness on quality in Abu Dhabi, hosted the forum.
More than 80 regional and international industry experts discussed what improvements were needed as part of the capital's 2030 vision to be one of the most competitive economies in the world.
Topics on improving food safety and child safety were among those debated on the first of the two-day gathering at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers hotel.

"This QCC is the first step to delivering better quality and infrastructure here in Abu Dhabi," said Abdalla Hassan Al Muaini, executive director of conformity scheme services for the council.
"This is the first QCC and we are hoping to make it an annual event. We wanted to gather the private sector and the public sector in one place to discuss all the issues they face and discuss how quality infrastructure can be bettered here in Abu Dhabi."

During the conference, the QCC announced the creation of a new body - the Quality Governors Council - that will help deliver improvements to quality infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, said Anas Barguthi, executive director for consumer and market services at the QCC.
"The Quality Governors Council is a council that allows sector leaders, those that are leading industries and initiatives, together with initiators of Abu Dhabi 2030 vision to meet and discuss the agenda of the quality journey representing opportunities and challenges," he said. "That way, us, the regulator, have a better understanding."

About 20 members will make up the body, he said. They will meet once a year - at the Abu Dhabi Quality Forum - and set an annual agenda on improving quality across a broad spectrum of sectors.

The announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the British Standards Institution was made as the emirate sought to take advice from the UK body on how to improve the quality of food safety.
"Quality is the cornerstone of a progressive economy and it is only befitting that the Abu Dhabi Quality Forum creates a platform for dialogue among global experts," said Hussain Salem Al Katheeri, secretary general of the QCC.