The facilities management business in the Middle East is set to enter a period of major growth as developers seek to protect their investments, a leading Dubai FM company says.
Reliance FM says developers should recognise facilities management as a key investment that will save money by ensuring that a new building is operation friendly, and that space is being properly utilized.
The company will be exhibiting at FM EXPO, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from June 4-6. The exhibition will create a vital link for decision makers with suppliers and service providers at a time when regional construction spend is growing at US$4 billion a week.
An emerging concept in the Middle East, facilities management is the integrated management of all types of built environments from commercial towers, to oil refineries, to hospitals. FM practitioners oversee the management of a building from its inception, providing a complete range of services such as property strategy, space management, communications infrastructure, building maintenance, administration and contract management.
Reliance FM has grown rapidly in the three years since its inception, and now oversees 4 million square feet of UAE property. The firm has provided FM support to a diverse range of clients including corporate facilities, commercial and residential buildings, clubs and hospitals. They have recently started operations in Qatar.
Dilip Khatwani, Chief Executive of Reliance FM, predicts huge growth in FM in the region over the coming years as Middle Eastern developers seek to protect their investments. He said: “Developers in the region are now learning that they can optimise their investment through effective facilities management.
“Facilities management plays two major roles: it gives an intellectual analysis of how high standards can be maintained within a built environment, and provides the technical and operational support to maintain these standards and prolong the life of the building.”
FM EXPO is being organised by event management and marketing specialists, Streamline Marketing Group, and exhibition organisers dmg world media Dubai Ltd. Nick Webb, Director of Streamline Marketing Group, says that with construction spend in the region valued at US$900 billion, and increasing at the phenomenal rate of US$4 billion per week, the need for facilities management has never been greater.
He said: “The maintenance of these new buildings and facilities will cost trillions of dollars and facilities management will need to play a major role in this unprecedented growth.”
Adding its specific appeal to FM professionals and exhibitors, FM EXPO will be run alongside the Office Exhibition, Hotel Show and the InRetail exhibition, all of which have clear links to facilities management
Exhibitors are anticipated from the environment, energy, health and safety, IT, maintenance, management, property services and security sectors in the Middle East, Europe and worldwide. They will have face-to-face meetings with decision-makers who have major projects planned and are responsible for purchasing and specifying numerous products and services.
Visitors will consist of a wide range of key figures, including architects, property developers, building maintenance managers and managing directors. Around 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the four exhibitions running in tandem, and they will have the chance to examine the latest facilities management trends, and developments in the region, during a programme of high quality, educational seminars.
