ABU DHABI — Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the national railway network in the UAE, has won the Gold Award for Best Practices for the year 2020 by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) in recognition of its outstanding achievements in following best-practices and results in quality management strategies. A total of 51 companies, public administrations and organizations from 39 countries were vying, and Etihad Rail was chosen based on the results of surveys held by the association, opinion polls of strategic partners and market research. On this occasion, Mohammed Al Marzouqi, executive director of the Rail Affairs Sector at Etihad Rail, said, "We are proud to receive this prestigious award, which confirms our commitment in following international best practices in building the UAE national railway network project, and as part of our efforts to support the United Arab Emirates in becoming one of the best countries in the world in quality of transportation." The ESQR, whose headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland, is interested in research, mechanisms and techniques for improving quality, and focuses on encouraging a culture of quality by awarding a set of appreciation awards in many fields, to contribute to introducing new initiatives, the latest innovations, disseminating knowledge and evaluating distinguished practices around the world. — WAM