Winners of Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award honoured

The 22 winners of the 15th cycle of the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, SKEA, were honoured by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, at a ceremony held today at Emirates Palace Hotel under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority and port operator DP World won the prestigious SKEA Diamond category.

Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, Al Rostamani International Exchange, Imdaad and Borouge, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austria-based Borealis, were awarded the Gold category in recognition of their outstanding performances and commitment to excellence throughout their operations.

The silver winners in the SKEA healthcare category included Gulf Diagnostic Center, LLH Hospital Musaffah and Nightingale Home Health Care.

Other winners of the award included Delma Mall, Tamani Marina Hotel, Nikai Electronics and AlTorath International.

About 2000 companies and organisations participated in this year's edition of the SKEA competition. The increase is attributed to the fact that businesses in the UAE take a great interest applying for the SKEA because of its very high standards, Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, Chairman of SKEA Higher Committee, said in a statement to WAM during the high-profile award ceremony attended by VIPs, dignitaries, senior officials and foreign diplomats.

Al Fahim thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for sponsoring the award and H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for extending unlimited support to excellence.

Emiratis now account for more than 70 per cent of the entries.

The UAE has become a model of corporate excellence surpassing even global models previously set by the United States and Europe, Al Fahim said.

Other winners include Delma Mall, TAMANI Marina Hotel and Hotel Apartments, Nikai Electronics and AlTorath International.

Named after President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and awarded by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SKEA was launched in 1999 as a blueprint, a roadmap and a methodology to drive continuous improvement of the country’s business community.

Adopting the European Foundation for Quality Management, EFQM, the SKEA seeks to encourage and empower individuals and organisations in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE to enhance their performance and competitiveness, and enable them to achieve world-class stature for the business community at large.