Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has held its first Vendor Symposium in Abu Dhabi.

The event, organised by the airline’s Procurement and Supply Management (P&SM) department saw more than 350 delegates from Abu Dhabi and UAE businesses, suppliers and commerce attend, along with representatives of UAE government departments.

The objective of the symposium was to further strengthen Etihad Airways’ reputation and brand in the UAE procurement market, and reflect transparency, integrity and accountability in the airline’s operations.

In his opening keynote address, Etihad Airways’ Chief Financial Officer James Rigney, told delegates: “Etihad Airways is an enabler of the Abu Dhabi economy and its 2030 vision, and we want to do more business with quality UAE-based suppliers.

“Working with us is about being best-in-class, growing and keeping pace with us and our equity partners, and doing so with competitive pricing.”

Etihad Airways’ Vice President P&SM Adil Al Mulla, gave an overview of the airline’s procurement principles before outlining the spend and procurement trends in areas such as Corporate Services, Fuel Management, Airline and In-Flight Services, Supply Management, and e-tools.

“We are actively looking for long-term partnerships and global agreements in our quest to centralise our procurement process. This is a great opportunity for locally-based companies to work with the national airline of the UAE and, together, forge partnerships of mutual benefit,” he said.

The event culminated in an active discussion with delegates, where the P&SM management team answered a range questions including: how to register with Etihad Airways, how to participate in tenders, selection criteria, current supplier concerns and geographic proximity.

This is the first time Etihad Airways has held a vendor symposium, and plans are in place to repeat the success of this year’s event again in 2014.

Etihad Airways regularly releases tenders, and UAE-based businesses can find out more about the airline’s procurement processes by visiting https://etihad.tejari.com/  

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