Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, invited more than 500 local and international suppliers, to a major conference in Abu Dhabi aimed at transforming the traditional buyer and supplier relationship.

Hosted by the company’s Procurement and Supply Management team, the theme of the event was ‘Transformation’.

The mandate set for Etihad Airways in 2006 was to be the best airline in the world, be commercially viable and a significant contributor to the Abu Dhabi economy. Through local procurement, Etihad Airways has spent $5 billion with Abu Dhabi companies in the last three years.

Held at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, the aim of the annual event was to build collaborative partnerships that innovate and share best practices for the benefit of all.

Adil Al Mulla, Etihad Airways vice president procurement and supply management, said: “We are in the midst of a business transformation programme, re-engineering our processes, implementing new technology and developing our people to deliver real financial benefits to the airline.

“We must also transform our relationships with our supply partners so we can mutually optimise the value of our engagement. This event was a great step forward in developing more open communications and working relationships that will deliver results for all our organisations.”

Etihad Airways’ procurement department won the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Mena Award 2016, for the International procurement project of the year, and was shortlisted in several other award categories. - TradeArabia News Service