Organised by Roads & Transport
Authority (RTA), in cooperation with Dubai Electricity & Water Authority
(DEWA), Emaar Properties, and Project Management Institute (PMI), the 2015 DIPMF
attracted over 1,500 international attendees of Project Management
Professionals and Specialists, and organisations across various industries,
including 12 members of The Kanoo Group, on diverse topics related to advanced
strategies and approaches in executing UAE’s mega projects towards driving sustainable
and innovative project management practices.
Mr. Fahad Kanoo and Mr. Bob Curtis, along
with Mr. John Drinkwater, Mr. Assaad Mawad, Mr. Mark Vinnicombe, Mr. Tom
Nauwelaerts, Mr. Raman Marwaha, Mr. Kannan Chandrasekaran, Mr. Nandkumar
Kalate, Mr. Ali Islim, Ms. Safa Jaafar, and Mr. Mounir Sfendla attended the
premier regional and global forum from across YBA Kanoo and The Kanoo Group to
support the programme.
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H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum [left] gives the
Appreciation Award to Mr. Fahad Kanoo (Executive Director-UAE) on behalf of The
Kanoo Group as a key supporter of the 2015 DIPMF
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One of the international keynote speakers, HE
Dr. Rüdiger Grube, CEO and Chairman of
the Management Board, Deutsche Bahn AG, delivered the opening speech of
the Forum. Dr. Grube has over 30 years of extensive experience gained from
several companies in Germany, Japan and South Korea.
Deutsche
Bahn AG is one of the largest rail operators in Europe and one of the major companies specialized
in operating trains and railway in Europe, including German Railways, which
extends more than 33,000 kilometers and offers its services in over 130
countries around the world, and employs more than 300,000 employees.
With global economies growing at massive
scale, project management is instrumental in managing and streamlining business
processes in the public, as well as private sectors. The DIPMF sheds light on
Dubai’s role in leading the development drive across the region by successfully
adopting to best standards in a series of large projects that have received
global attention.
During
his introduction speech, Dr. Grube said, “We appreciate
the opportunity given to us to share this railway project expertise as an
efficient project management in the Arab region. In terms of transport development, it is no doubt that GCC region is
currently the most vibrant and fascinating area in the world. You are investing
huge amount in building and spending global and long distance public transport
system and rail freight transport. I am not only deeply impressed but at the
same time very glad that Deutsche Bahn is supporting your ambitious
development”.
“This
year we launched the largest ever modernization program for Germany’s existing
infrastructure together with the German government. We are talking about 30
Billion Euros which we are investing in rail mode by 2019. Secondly, a long
distance transport will increase service by 25% throughout Germany by 2030. The
aim is to increase train ridership by 50 Million passengers per year. So we intend not only to expand our services
but to improve our quality. And to do this, we are working on digital solutions
everywhere. We are doing this because we would like to make sure that we have
what it takes to be the number 1 mode of transport in the digital age.”
“20 years ago none of us would have imagined building new railway
network in the Gulf region that sums such ambition. Here in the GCC, visions
seems to become more of a reality. There are interesting rail transport
projects on all continents but the projects in the Middle East is the largest
and the most ambitious. I’m sure that one day, rail transport between GCC
member States and Central Europe or in Asia will become a reality. In any case,
a new railway age is growing in the Middle East and we are proud to be a part
of it and you can count on Deutsche
Bahn as a reliable, safe and sustainable partner.”
Furthermore, an awarding ceremony was also
held as a part of the opening program to honour groups and individuals as key
supporters to the DIPMF. On behalf of The
Kanoo Group, Mr. Fahad Kanoo received the Appreciation Award from the
organisers of the event as one of the Sponsors.
With the year 2015 proclaimed as the Year
of Innovation by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice
President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a national strategy for innovation, the Hamdan
bin Mohammed Award for Innovation in Project Management.
The award, which is worth AED2 million, was
launched by H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the
opening of the DIPMF to encourage and enable innovative approaches to project
management by creating a database of the best relevant practices and systems.
The
award came as a surprise to all participants during the initial announcement. The
Award Categories will be given to: Individuals, Teams and Innovative Ideas (Of
Organizations), by next year.
Over three days, participants had the
options of engaging in a number of sessions, panel discussions, and workshops
that were conducted by a host of experts and specialists in the field of
project management from government, semi-government and private sectors. The
Themes of the Forum included topics about Leadership, Project Management in
Sports, Investigation Management, Project Management in Aerospace, Innovation, Delighting
Customers, Project Management in Healthcare, UAE Mega Projects, Project
Management in Hospitality, Enterprise Project Management (EPM), Enterprise
Project Management Maturity Model, Organizational Change Management, Project
Management Office (PMO) 2.0, and Project Management Software Collaboration
Tools.
Important speakers from the UAE also addressed
the forum including H.E. Engineer Sultan Al-Mansoori, Minister of Economy since
2008, who served as the Minister of Transportation, and Minister of Government
Sector Development; H.E. Engineer Suhail Mohammad Al Mazroui, Minister of
Energy, the ministry is responsible for achieving sustainable development,
coordinating and representing oil, mineral, electricity, and water affairs to
ensure optimal utilisation for the benefit of the national economy in
collaboration with the concerned bodies in order to play a pioneering and
excellent role in all fields. Al Mazroui is also the Chairman of the Federal
Electricity and Water Authority, Chairman of Mubadala Petroleum Company, and Chairman
of Emirates LNG Company.
Dr. Alaa
Zeitoun, Executive Director – Corporate PMO, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC); H.E.
Dr. Ali Al-Marri, Executive President, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of
Government; Dr. Amer Sharif, Managing Director – Education, Dubai
Healthcare City; Bassam Samman, Chief Executive Officer, CMCS; Dr. Bassem
Younes, Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Mohammed
Bin Rashid School of Government; Mr. Bill Reed, Vice President, WATG
Designing Destinations, also spoke in the forum.
The forum also hosted prominent
international speakers such as Dr. Edward J. Hoffman, who founded and led the
NASA Academy of Programme Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) for over
20 years. Currently, he is the Chief Knowledge Officer, NASA, who caters to
formulating policies, strategies, processes and practices for promoting a
successful knowledge creation, retention and sharing culture in support of
mission success; Mr. Tom Kelley,
Partner, IDEO; Author of the
Best-selling Creative Confidence, The Art of Innovation, and The Ten Faces of
Innovation; and Don Kingsberry, Enterprise Project Management Office
Leader, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Kingsberry is a member of
the Project Management Institute's Global Executive Council. He has been a
contributor to several books on Portfolio and Project Management, including the
2014 book, The Resource Management and Capacity Planning Handbook.
Other
notable speakers were: H.E. Mattar Al-Tayer,
Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA); and Dr.
Eng. Khaled A. Hamdy, PMP, Projects Advisor to the Director-General, Roads
& Transport authority (RTA); H.E. Saeed Al-Tayer, Managing Director &
CEO, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA); Mark A. Langley,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Project Management Institute (PMI)
and Claudia M. Baca, Project Management Consulting Services.
H.E.
Bruno Rota, CEO and Chairman, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi S.p.A.; H.E.
Gerald Lawless, President and Group CEO, Jumeirah Group; H.E. Huda
Al-Hashemi, Executive Director, Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government
Innovation; H.E. Eng. Hussain Lootah, Director-General, Dubai
Municipality; H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Ahbabi, Director-General, UAE Space
Agency; H.E. Mohamed Al-Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Nuclear
Energy Corporation (ENEC); Dr. Mohammad Al-Redha, Director of Health Data and
Information Analysis – Health Policy and Strategy Sector, Dubai Health
Authority; and Sarah Amiri, Deputy Project Manager and Science Lead, Have
HOPE – Mission to Mars, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, were also in the list
of speakers.
After the
event, members of The Kanoo Group mostly gave their positive feedback on
the amount of information they have gathered about innovations and the best
practices to ensure successful outcomes in achieving a world-class reputation
for Dubai in Project Management.
Ms. Safa Jaafar, EGM PA – PMO, Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo, commented, “The depth of the
insights I was exposed to, have kept my mind incessantly synchronized with our KANOO
vision.”
Nandu Kalate, Head of PMO - Corporate Business Development, Yusuf Bin
Ahmed Kanoo, further said, “The Project management processes & tools are
important to implement in our company. Similarly, the workshop on PMI standards
for Project Manager will be good in the future for PMs.”
“Organizational
Change Management, Portfolio/Programs/Project management were good workshops,
in addition to Project Management best practices and Office 365 capabilities
demo. Also, the Knowledge Management, Innovation and Leadership are particularly
good learnings,” he summarized.
About The Kanoo Group
‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.
Our Vision
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond
Our Mission
Delivering Sustainable Excellence
Our Values
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable
P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com
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Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group
