Case Studies

Within the municipality, Dr Ghuwaya Humaid Al Nuaimi leads awareness and communication initiatives, while Engineer Mamdouh Gasim Mohamed Idris has been delivering environmental, health and safety (EHS) training since 2013. Together, they have helped shape the Al Ain Municipality EHS Training Centre, which now provides a range of NEBOSH qualifications to employees across the organisation.
NEBOSH spoke to Dr Ghuwaya and Engineer Mamdouh about their NEBOSH journey.

Why did Al Ain City Municipality become a NEBOSH Accredited Learning Partner?

Al Ain City Municipality employs more than 2,300 people across a diverse range of activities, including public parks, construction supervision and slaughterhouse operations. These services present complex and continually evolving EHS challenges.

In response to growing operational demands, the municipality established an internal Training Centre in 2011. As the Centre developed, a natural question emerged:

"If we are committed to high standards, should our accreditation not reflect the best standards in the world?"

This ambition led the municipality to pursue NEBOSH accreditation and become a Corporate Learning Partner.

Who takes NEBOSH courses and why?

NEBOSH qualifications are highly recognised and widely respected in the UAE. Many of the health and safety requirements established by the Abu Dhabi Government are covered by the NEBOSH qualifications we offer our employees, making them highly relevant to our operational environment.

The municipality provides different NEBOSH training to its employees depending on their roles and responsibilities:

• NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Award

New employees begin their learning journey with this qualification, which helps them build a strong foundation in workplace health and safety.

• NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

The municipality operates an Integrated Management System and maintains certification to:

• ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management
• ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
• ISO 9001 – Quality Management

To support this, each department appoints an EHS Representative who is required to hold a NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. This ensures that every department has access to a knowledgeable and competent safety focal point. The holders of this qualification include project managers, contract administrators and leaders and decision makers.

• NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation

In 2021, the municipality rolled out this qualification to its investigation team, which works closely with Abu Dhabi Police to investigate incidents across public parks, construction and infrastructure projects, municipal slaughterhouses and various public facilities.

Since 2013, the EHS Training Centre has successfully trained approximately 1,000 employees in NEBOSH qualifications, reflecting the municipality’s sustained commitment to building safety competence across the organisation.

Have NEBOSH qualifications delivered an impact to Al Ain City Municipality?

The municipality evaluates the effectiveness of its training through several measures:

Awareness Surveys
Employee awareness surveys are conducted in both Arabic and English before and after training to assess knowledge improvement and measure changes in EHS awareness.

Strategic KPIs
The municipality monitors both short- and long-term EHS performance indicators, including strategic KPIs extending to 2030. This helps to identify continuous improvement and measures alignment with organisational EHS objectives.

Improved Incident Investigation
Since the rollout of the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation qualification to our investigation team in 2021, the quality of the investigation reports have improved. Reports are now clearer, more structured and increasingly evidence-based. This improvement is particularly important as it helps support organisational learning, and the documentation is often submitted to the Abu Dhabi courts.

Stronger Management Systems
The integrated management system has been more effective since the decision was taken for each department’s appointed EHS representative to complete the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Every department now has access to a knowledgeable health and safety focal point who can provide guidance and support.

International health and safety awards achievements:
Al Ain City Municipality has achieved several internationally recognised health and safety awards including:

• International Safety Award (Awarded by British Safety Council) with Distinction four times.
• Sword of Honor Award (Awarded by British Safety Council).
• Five Stars Audit (Conducted by British Safety Council).

The investment in NEBOSH qualifications and training has helped to upskill employees and raise standards, playing a key role in this success.

What has the Municipality gained by offering NEBOSH qualifications?

One of the most significant outcomes has been the trust and credibility earned by the municipality’s Training Centre, both internally and among external stakeholders.

Construction companies increasingly approach the municipality to deliver NEBOSH training for their own employees, recognising the value and credibility associated with a government-operated training centre. This enhances confidence in workforce competence and training quality.

The municipality strongly encourages individuals beginning a career in health and safety, regardless of sector, to consider NEBOSH qualifications as an important foundation.