THE JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL AND WILD WADI WATERPARK AWARDED ISO 9001:2000 CERTIFICATON

Jumeirah International properties awarded ISO certification for 4th year in a row

Jumeirah International properties, The Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Wild Wadi Waterpark have recently been awarded the ISO 9001:2000 Certification by Lloyds Register for Quality Assurance for their quality management system.

Senior Management decided from the outset that it was essential for The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the first of the Jumeirah International properties, to embrace ISO as a tool to support a quality management system (QMS) that ensures our commitment to provide consistently superior quality products and services to all our guests.

Peter Mitchell – Director of Training & Quality – Jumeirah International states; “We have always been a firm believer in ISO as a quality management tool and this commitment is demonstrated in our pursuit as a company in achieving ISO 9001:2000.”

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel was first certified ISO 9002 in December 1998 and continued to pass certification each year thereafter. Wild Wadi Waterpark was awarded the same certification in July 2000 and became the first ever water theme park in the world to receive this prestigious award. Both properties have now successfully made the transition to the requirements of the revised standard and Wild Wadi is now the first of its kind to make the transition assessment to ISO 9001:2000.

Serge P.A Zaalof – General Manager, The Jumeirah Beach Hotel comments; ”Being successful in achieving this certification is wonderful for both our guests and staff. It demonstrates our commitment to quality and helps ensure that we also continue to improve our service to our guests each and every time they stay at The Jumeirah Beach Hotel or any other Jumeirah International property.“

Wild Wadi Waterpark, the 2nd Jumeirah International property and 1st of it’s kind to have successfully implemented ISO, believes that the staff are the most important assets in the service industry and it remains a challenge to ensure everyone within the organization understands their importance and input in maintaining ISO Certification and providing a consistent standard of service to all its customers.

Glenn Davidson – General Manager – Wild Wadi remarked “ It is a great achievement for Wild Wadi both in being the 1st of it’s kind to have implemented and achieved ISO 9002 initially and now to have upgraded the certification of our quality management system to a level that demonstrates continual improvement in our operations and continues to be mutually beneficial to both staff and guests.”

The new ISO 9001 standard is based on eight principles of Quality Management:

Customer Focus, Leadership, Involvement of people, Process approach, System approach to management, Continual improvement, Factual approach to decision making and Mutually beneficial supplier relationships.

Efa Cronin – Quality Manager – Jumeirah International stated; “The transition for both properties proved a challenge for all involved but the benefits in implementing the new requirements of ISO 9001:2000 with it’s greater emphasis on customer focus and continual improvement have already shown results which have proven to be highly advantageous to both guests and staff.”

The structure of Jumeirah International’s Quality Management System is supported at the highest level by the company Vision, which outlines the future direction of the company and the Quality Policy which outlines management commitment in achieving our objectives for quality. Both in turn are supported by the company’s Guiding Principles, which are the values that guide Jumeirah International staff through their daily activities.

Notes:

Jumeirah International properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous travel and design awards. The group encompasses the stunning and world-renowned Burj Al Arab that has already become a true icon and landmark for Dubai, the award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Emirates Towers Hotel, Offices and Shopping Boulevard, The Jumeirah Beach Club, The World Trade Centre Hotel Dubai and Wild Wadi waterpark.

In addition, the group opened The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management this Summer and the company’s latest development is the unique resort development Madinat Jumeirah, announced during the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai in May, of which the first phase is scheduled to open mid 2003.