< Previous UPDATE www.fm-middleeast.com10 December 2020 Bee’ah and the University of Sharjah (UoS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate across multiple areas of interest that will include environmental research, educational programmes, student sponsorships and explore developing business opportunities and Intellectual Properties (IPs). The MoU aims to enhance cooperation between UoS and Bee’ah Group business verticals including the Bee’ah Consultancy, Research & Innovation (Bee’ah CRI) to develop scientifi c research related to sustainable solutions in the environmental sector such as integrated waste management, renewable energy, environmental protection, facilities management, education and sustainability. UoS will also direct relevant graduation projects and research studies towards Bee’ah’s requirement and needs. In addition, both parties will jointly develop training programmes, diplomas and workshops, and have also agreed to organise conferences and forums related to environmental management, resource management and sustainable development. To enhance student development, Bee’ah – which has several employees who are UoS alumni – will provide scholarships and training opportunities for UoS students and share recruitment opportunities through its job portals and career fair. HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee'ah, said: “As the UAE accelerates its transition to a knowledge-based economy, we aim to support the eff orts of our nation’s outstanding educational institutions eff orts through our Consultancy, Research & Innovation arm. As the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, Bee’ah looks forward to exploring ways to strengthen its research and development eff orts with University of Sharjah." STAT ATTACK UPDATE PARTNERSHIP Bee’ah, University of Sharjah sign MoU to promote knowledge-based economy 1,000 Thousands of people across three Cambodian villages can now live safer, healthier lives following the deployment of new water purifying technology as part of the Zayed Sustainability Prize’s UAE-driven humanitarian initiative, 20by2020. 4,400 After the most recent installation of solar powered light systems in vulnerable communities in Egypt and Jordan, the initiative has progressed with fi ve water fountains, benefi ting the 4,400 residents of the Chhnok Trou, Kampong Phrah and Ses Salab villages. 193 Access to safe drinking water is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations adopted by 193 countries. 3 million In Cambodia especially, the provision of clean drinking water remains a major challenge; more than 3 million people lack access to safe water and 6 million lack access to improved sanitation. 10 December 2020www.fm-middleeast.com12 December 2020 POWER 50 This year has been excruciatingly challenging! However, in compiling this year’s list, I felt proud of reading and knowing about the new innovations and practices of various FM firms this year. Initially, it was all about survival, but that soon turned into opportunities. It is heartening to hear about such accomplishments during such a time. As with the process of this listing, this year too we sent out a questionnaire a couple of months back, and received the data we needed. Again, some companies furnished all the details and a few revealed less as a result of confidentiality, which meant we had to surmise positions based on the company activities in the year 2020 and publicly available information. And then again, a few did not respond, and we have still included those as we felt they were pertinent. This list is both objective and subjective in nature. With the amount of parameters (read: revenues, profits or projects) in the FM industry, there is no single point of assurance. However, the more the information provided, the better will be the ranking. Given this, the list as you know is debatable and in no way a reflection on your performance. Our objective is to list those who are active in the FM space. This year the FM sector was pushed into the forefront of the ongoing pandemic. Several FM firms have adapted and come up with innovative trends that have afforded us a safe and hygienic environment. I would say now that there has been a change in mindset in perceiving the FM sector as an industry wielding a much greater responsibility in safeguarding our environment and ethos. I believe being in this list is commendable in itself! About the author Rajiv Ravindran Pillai is the editor of Facilities Management Middle East. www.fm-middleeast.com12 December 2020www.fm-middleeast.comDecember 2020 13 POWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.comDecember 2020 13 POWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.com 14 December 2020 As a measure of Imdaad’s continuing stability throughout this year’s climate of uncertainty, the company’s Facilities Management Services (FMS) division has successfully renewed all of its existing contracts during the global Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the division has been more profitable than last year. In addition, it was able to manage its staff in a very agile manner, mobilising and shuffling team members as needed in response to the rapidly evolving situation, the company stated. For instance, as lockdowns were announced and all entertainment facilities were closed, FMS transferred its staff from entertainment facilities such as Roxy cinemas, Hub Zero, and Laguna Water Park into communities where they were needed. As a result, Imdaad’s FMS division has not terminated a single employee during the pandemic and is now actively recruiting additional team members. Imdaad claims to be the only company in the UAE that has an in-house team managing over 500 chillers. It is also the banking sector’s leading FM provider, managing all the nation’s major banks including Emirates NBD, FAB, and ADIB. This encompasses more than 250 locations nationwide, including 182 for Emirates NBD and 60 for FAB. In addition, Imdaad’s FMS is the number one choice of the UAE’s seaports including Port Rashid, Khalifa Port, DP World JAFZA Port (12 years), and the country’s newest cruise terminal, Meraas Harbour. The biggest opportunity for Imdaad during the coming twelve months relates to the provision of disinfection services. The company has witnessed continuous growth in this area since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, and this trend shows no sign of diminishing. Jamal Abdulla Lootah, group chief executive officer, says: “Given the highly contagious nature of the virus, there has been a huge deal of attention focused on the importance of disinfection and cleanliness in general. Customers have become increasingly aware of these issues and seeking tailor-made solutions to fit their evolving needs. Imdaad’s flexible, agile approach and full spectrum of solutions mean the company is well- positioned to cater to this soaring demand for bespoke FM services.” JAMAL ABDULLA LOOTAH GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Number of years in his role: 13 • Total number of years in the company: 13 • Number of years in the Middle East: 29 EMPLOYEES: 7,000+ OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS: 2,709 FEMALE STAFF: 465 IMDAADPOWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.comDecember 2020 15 Despite current local market and global challenges, Emrill has not waivered or compromised on quality and continues to deliver world-class facilities management services to its diverse range of customers, says Stuart Harrison, chief executive officer. Harrison says: “As a frontline services provider, Emrill has played an instrumental part in the UAE’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Leading from the front, Emrill has created and nurtured value partnerships with customers, providing advice, recommending best practice and delivering the full range of services required to meet the ever- changing government guidelines during the pandemic.” Some of the projects the firm is involved in over the next 12 months are with clients such as Emaar Properties (FM Services, security, concierge, lifeguard & swimming pool maintenance), Dubai Airports Terminal 3, Concourse A, B & C (cleaning & janitorial services), and Aramex UAE (hard & soft FM services). When it comes to training and employee welfare, throughout the year, Emrill holds events and launches initiatives aimed specifically at employee welfare/ happiness, ensuring Emrill employees are engaged/motivated to work as a team to achieve Emrill’s commercial, operational, development and retention objectives. For example, Emrill claims to be the first UAE FM company to launch an annual staff sporting carnival. In 2020, the carnival launched as a virtual event, being adapted to enable employees to enjoy and benefit from the culture of inclusivity and community Emrill has created remotely. As a result of the company’s robust IT infrastructure and empowered team members, even during a pandemic, employee engagement practices have continued, adapting to the new normal and switching to a remote execution. Extending training opportunities beyond employees, Emrill launched Khibra, a work placement programme for Emirati students, in December 2019. In line with the Applied Stream Work Placement Programme implemented by and in association with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education, Emrill hosted five Emirati students to an intensive five-day programme, which introduced them to the UAE’s facilities management sector and Emrill’s business. STUART HARRISON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Number of years in his role: 1.8 • Total number of years in the company: 5 • Number of years in the Middle East: 8 EMPLOYEES: 6,068 OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS: 1,463 FEMALE STAFF: 673 EMRILL POWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.com16 December 2020 The year 2020 has been a busy year for Bee’ah. Bee’ah and Unilever agreed to collaborate on plastics waste collection and investment in a plastic recycling plant. The firms also signed the largest municipal waste management contract in the region for the new Administrative Capital in Egypt, one of the largest urban development projects in the world which will house an anticipated population of 6.5 million upon completion. In addition, Bee’ah partnered with Tabreed for the development of large-scale district cooling projects in Sharjah. And all this just at the beginning of the year. In the next 12 months, Bee’ah will be ramping up its waste management operations in Egypt and KSA, serving millions of people in both countries. Also, Emirates Waste to Energy Company (EWTE), a joint venture between Bee’ah and Masdar, which can process non-recyclable waste and provide alternative energy, will open the first waste-to-energy facility in 2021, in Sharjah. Khaled Al Huraimel, group CEO, Bee’ah, says: “The opening of our first Waste to Energy Plant will allow us to accomplish our zero waste-to-landfill goal in the Sharjah Emirate – a regional first. As well as producing energy for Sharjah’s power grid, it will also enable us to turn Sharjah’s Al Saja’a landfill into a solar energy facility in Sharjah once it is capped.” This project will help Sharjah attain its renewable energy targets, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and help improve the quality of life for communities. Talking about some of the challenges, Huraimel says: “As a result of our recent contract wins (such as Egypt and KSA), our biggest challenge will be to increase our manpower and operational capabilities. However, we are confident that our experience in the UAE since 2007, positions us to scale and succeed in these new markets.” KHALED AL HURAIMEL GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Number of years in his role: 11 • Total number of years in the company: 11 • Number of years in the Middle East: 22 BEE’AHPOWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.comDecember 2020 17 It is now 40 years since Farnek was founded and has grown into one of the largest and most recognisable independent FM companies in the region, operating across all seven emirates, says Markus Oberlin, CEO of Farnek. Farnek has a comprehensive offering across both hard and soft FM disciplines, including bespoke technological initiatives and sustainability audits. In terms of security services, Farnek acquired Certis, one of the top ten companies in the UAE’s security services sector earlier this year, including 1,800 staff. Oberlin adds: “This now positions Farnek as one of only a few TFM companies in the UAE to hold a security licence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. “However, 2020 will forever be remembered for Covid-19 and during the early days of the pandemic, Farnek was one of the first FM companies to pilot a sanitisation gateway which disinfects all staff, upon leaving and returning to their accommodation centres. Its teams were protected and can’t inadvertently spread the virus should they become exposed.” Farnek implemented a new contactless face recognition system to measure the temperature and monitor the attendance of its employees, in line with Dubai Municipality regulations. In terms of quality, Farnek, was the first FM company in the region to successfully comply with the world’s first standard dedicated to FM systems ISO 41001:2018. It is also a member of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc). Moreover, in August, Farnek achieved GBAC STAR accreditation for its head office facility in Dubai, the first FM facility to be accredited by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the global cleaning industry trade association, in the Middle East. Some of the major contracts the company is involved in the next 12 months are Expo 2020 Opportunity District (total facilities management services), Dubai Airport Terminal 1, 2, concourse D, Dubai Cargo Village and DWC (soft services) and Yas Maria Circuit (total facilities management services). MARKUS OBERLIN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Number of years in his role: 15 • Total number of years in the company: 22 • Number of years in the Middle East: 15 EMPLOYEES: 8,000 OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS: 1,300 FEMALE STAFF: 350 FARNEK POWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.com18 December 2020 Ejadah has the next 12 months quite packed in its schedule. Contracts such as Ministry of Education (TFM for Fujairah schools), Ministry of Health (soft service for Abullah Bin Omran Hospital), Emirates Towers (Hard services), and others, are awarded and mobilisation will be completed in 2021. Tarek Nizameddin, senior executive director, Ejadah, adds: “We will also complete the project of BIM implementation in a 70 stories skyscraper in Abu Dhabi. It is the first project of its kind in the region. The project will facilitate, aid and optimise tasks pertaining specifically to Facility Management through integrated BIM model with CAFM/ CMMS over the life cycle of the facility. A BIM model is a parametric, computable representation of the project design for building analysis, facility operation and maintenance.” The project involves establishing an as-built BIM model from the existing 2D as-built CAD drawings which contains building equipment that is required to develop a facility management BIM model. Talking about the challenges, Nizameddin says that the impact of the pandemic has created a cost crunch in the facilities management sector. He says: “We have seen big FM clients stop awarding based on quality and instead awarding contracts based purely on price. FM companies are also being exposed to increased operational costs driven by the pandemic preventive measures which has had direct impact on the accommodation, transportation, and welfare facilities among others “However, with the positive news about the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine and the plans and strategies that the UAE government is implementing, the rebound phase will create a tremendous opportunity to benefit from. The rebound will be supported by the preparation for the UAE’s 50th anniversary and Expo 2020. The biggest winner will be those who will come up with innovative solutions that will help in bouncing back faster and move forward.” TAREK NIZAMEDDIN SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Number of years in his role: 3 • Total number of years in the company: 4.5 • Number of years in the Middle East: 25 EJADAH EMPLOYEES: 11,322 OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS: 368 FEMALE STAFF: 1,066POWER 50 www.fm-middleeast.comDecember 2020 19 As the key driver behind one of the greatest success stories in the FM and energy services segments, Bart Holsters, general manager, and his team have taken ENGIE Solutions from a start-up company with just eight associates in 2010, to a regional leading service provider with now close to 3,400 staff in 2020. Furthermore, the company is operational in five GCC countries and India. Holsters continues the pace of growth in 2020 by a further increase of nearly 50% in turnover from 2019, despite the challenging economic climate and current pandemic. The results of digitalisation, innovative asset management and acquisition strategies are now being reaped by Holsters and his team, providing bespoke facility management and energy efficiency services, saving millions of dollars in clients operation and energy costs. In 2019-20 the company continued to enjoy sustainable growth in line with previous years, averaging a growth of almost 50% on the previous year in turnover. Serco was at the forefront of the pandemic. The firm mobilised specially trained personnel to support with essential services on the ground at Dubai Field Hospital at DWT. Phil Malem, CEO says: “Standing in solitude with the United Arab Emirates in the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Serco Middle East has provided a full range of support services to the Dubai Field Hospital where COVID-19 patients were treated.” In addition, working in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Serco deployed over 80 experienced healthcare staff who provided a full range of non-clinical operations. The delivery of these critical services provided a robust and comprehensive wrap-around to the clinical care, and thus enabled the Dubai Field Hospital to operate efficiently and aid effective quarantine, treatment and protection for those affected. The revenues for 2019-20 financial year for Serco stands at around AED1.7bn (£349.6m). Transguard secured revenues for the 2019- 20 financial year amounting to a whopping AED2.55bn. As the UAE’s largest FM and security services provider, Transguard Group has seized the challenges of 2020 and transformed them into competitive advantages. Greg Ward, managing director, says: “The most striking example is our lead role at the forefront of the country’s Covid-19 containment efforts, particularly the UAE’s field hospitals (ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Parks & Resorts and Mohammed Bin Zayed City) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Building upon our previous experience in the medical sector, more than 500 Transguard staff from security, FM and hospitality have provided key support for this national effort since April; roles included cleaners, security guards, systems integration technicians, nursing assistants, a lab assistant, waste management specialists, and more, each of whom was carefully integrated into the respective patient care teams to ensure delivery of the right facilities services.” Branching out into the Middle Eastern market in the mid-1990s, Mace Group’s first office in the region was in the United Arab Emirates. Since then the firm has continued to grow throughout the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with more than 450 employees across the UAE alone – each one providing world-class expertise to a growing client base – and establishing ourselves as the industry leader for project management consultancy, the company website stated. Working with its trusted partners across all stages of a project lifecycle, Mace Group is able to provide a commercially minded team often recognised for its excellence and lavished with awards, with innovation, problem-solving and the delivery of intricate projects our speciality. With experience in all sectors, projects have included Mirdif City Centre, the Mall of the Emirates and Jumeirah Beach. As per the company website, Megan Webb, managing director, Asia Pacific and also the acting MD for Middle East region, says: “I joined Mace in 2018 and I have enjoyed the challenge of running the Asia Pacific business. Mace is a great organisation and there are some inspiring success stories of people growing their careers with the company across all disciplines.” BART HOLSTERS GENERAL MANAGER PHIL MALEM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GREG WARD MANAGING DIRECTOR ENGIE SOLUTIONS SERCO TRANSGUARD MACE GROUPNext >