Many companies across the Middle East region do not have a robust disaster recovery or crisis management programme in place, putting their business at serious risk, said an expert in the field of business resilience.

Natural disasters and economic turmoil have reached unprecedented levels across the globe over the last 12 months, which have caught out many organizations, according to Professor Edward Borodzicz, director of the International Center for Business Resilience (ICBR), which operates under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG).

“Regrettably, too many people overlook the importance of having a business resilience plan in place” Borodzicz said. “As a result, many have been caught out by a series of global events that have put a great strain on their ability to operate, or in some cases, even forced closure.”

“All businesses, even small and medium enterprises, must set the requirements of business continuity to enable a systematic response to all kinds of potential threats and crisis that may impact their overall operations.”

“The importance of having a business continuity program improves the stability of companies, thereby increasing job security and enabling survival during the toughest conditions – including economic downturn,” added Borodzicz.

“According to our research, UAE companies and organizations lead the way in preparedness, and are recognizing the disastrous consequences disruption or catastrophes can have.  But this number is still very small,” he said.

Aiming to equip local companies to undertake practical management of crisis situations, ICBR recently organised the third Masterclass session in Crisis and Resilience Management, held at Abu Dhabi University’s Khalifa City campus.

The seminar concentrated on understanding the causes of organizational failure and how to address it through training, simulation and case studies.

“Since the launch of International Center for Business Resilience, we have been providing comprehensive training courses in business continuity and crisis management program to leading companies in the UAE,” Borodzicz said.

“Latest research, case studies including international best practices and effective tools on contingency and resilience are presented to our delegates during the Masterclass,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service