ITP MEDIA GROUP / BUSINESS NOVEMBER 2021 • VOL. 16, ISSUE 11 RESOLVING CONTRACTUAL BIASES Experts at the Facilities Management Middle East Conference 2021 debated on a range of topics from contracts to worker welfarewww.fm-middleeast.com CONTENTS November 2021 3 UPDATE 6Khidmah Training Centre marks two years of operation and intro- duces mobile training facility 8ServeU launches new security fi rm Ehkam 10 Sodexo caters to chang- ing Middle East health- November 2021 VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 11 care market demands VIEWPOINT 13 Expo 2020 is upon us and we have some great insights as to what some companies are doing diff erently and what standards are being set by this site FM CONFERENCE 2021 16 The Facilities Management Middle East Conference held on 29 September at the V Hotel Dubai, Al Habtoor City, brought together the FM commu- nity to discuss about FM contracts, worker welfare and training FM @ EXPO 2020 26 Insights from a few FM companies catering to Expo 2020 Dubai FIVE MINUTES WITH... 42 Ali Borg – Facilities Manager, Andorra Village by Bawani International Regulars DOWNLOAD NOW FOR iOS, ANDROID, AND KINDLE @fmMidEast@fmMidEast @fmMidEast 062642www.fm-middleeast.com CONTENTS 4 November 2021 12 COMMENT Ahmad Houri, chief operating offi cer at Initial Saudi, looks at how Mega Recruitment companies will help FM providers and the wider KSA market meet challenges In-depth November 2021 DOWNLOAD NOW FOR iOS, ANDROID, AND KINDLE 3216 VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 11 @fmMidEast@fmMidEast 16 COVER STORY The Facilities Management Middle East Conference was held on 29 September at the V Hotel Dubai, Al Habtoor City, which brought together the FM community @fmMidEast 32 SITE UPDATE Yousif Ahmed Al-Mutawa, chief executive offi cer of Sharjah Sustainable City, talks about the maintenance routine at the ongoing Sharjah Sustainable City 38 SUPPLIER NEWS Find out the top facilities management supplier trends that are currently in the market, including some of the biggest digital trends set to shape the FM industry COMING UP IN FMME DECEMBER 2021 FMME’s upcoming Special Report on High Access Solutions will explore the companies, process and and technology behind high access cleaning in this region To learn more about upcoming stories and advertising opportunities in future issues of FMME, please contact Vinay Ravindran through vinay.ravindran@itp. com, or +971-55-8101197. FMME ON LINKEDIN With more than 1,000 members from all over the Middle East, the FMME LinkedIn Group is the place to be to find out news, discussions and opportunities in the region’s FM industry. Email the editor at rajiv.pillai@itp.com to join the FMME LinkedIn Group and get in on the industry conversation.Peace of mind for your home www.albonian.fm+971 4 223 4500contact@albonian.fm/albonianfmUPDATE www.fm-middleeast.com6 November 2021 fmupdate TRAINING Khidmah, one of the region’s facilities management and home maintenance companies, has launched a mobile training vehicle to mark two years of operating its dedicated training facility, the Khidmah Training Centre. The customised bus will provide technical staff in different locations essential on-site training around multiple hard FM skills. In its second year of operation, the Khidmah Training Centre has successfully delivered over 25,000 training hours to more than 2,500 new and existing employees, representing a 66% increase compared to the same period last year. The mobile training centre is a converted 59-seater bus that’s been divided into two zones for theoretical and practical training with a capacity to train up to nine employees simultaneously. Training will be provided by a Hard Service Licensed Trainer and will focus on providing multiple hard FM skill trainings including HVAC, MEP, civil services as well as basic customer service. Abdellatif Sfaxi, CEO at Khidmah, said, “Our employees are our most valuable asset and are key drivers in our growth path. Investing in our people and ensuring they have all that they need to flourish is a key component of Khidmah’s sustainability strategy. We are committed to empowering our technical staff to provide great service KEEP UP-TO-DATE For all the latest FM news check out www.fm- middleeast.comast.cccom to our clients while being competitive in a continuously developing and changing industry.” Maher Al-Aghbar, COO at Khidmah, said, “The Khidmah Training Centre has had a big impact on our business and completing over 40,000 training hours in two years is a major milestone.” Al Aghbar added, “Having our on-site staff travel to the dedicated Khidmah Training Centre may not always be feasible given the nature of our business. Despite this challenge, we believe that every member of our team needs to be well-equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to offer quality service and remain competitive. The new mobile training unit will be a game changer and will help us ensure that every technical staff will receive the training they need, no matter where they are.” Recently, Khidmah was recognised with the Sheikh Khalifa Appreciation Award in the services sector and was awarded with the “Excellence in Training” award during the Middle East Cleaning, Hygiene, and Facilities (MECHF) Awards 2021 in April. The Khidmah Training Centre was launched in 2019 to deliver training programmes that provide both soft skills and hard skills to technical staff to improve their skillset and familiarise them with new technologies and industry trends. The mobile training centre is a converted 59-seater bus. Converted 59-seater training bus has been divided into two theoretical and practical training zones Khidmah Training Centre marks two years of operation and introduces mobile training facilityUPDATE www.fm-middleeast.comNovember 2021 7 PROGRAMME As the UAE prepares to celebrate its 50th national day, Transguard Group is revealing the details of a new graduate programme specifically designed to appeal to Emirati graduates: Taking place over 24 months, participants will be embedded in six diverse business units to learn the inner workings of the country’s leading business solutions provider. “For 20 years, Transguard Group has proudly supported the country’s growth and development, and this programme shows a deep commitment to strengthening the very foundation of the UAE,” says Dr. Abdulla Al Hashimi, CEO, Transguard Group. “While our graduate programme for UAE nationals is not new, today’s announcement showcases a redesigned initiative that is even more closely aligned with the professional goals of today’s young graduates, all while granting greater insight into the inner workings of our business.” Applicants will be scouted at university career fairs and courted using relevant websites; following an online application, high-quality candidates will be selected based on their core skills and competencies. Over the 24-month course, candidates will be rotated through six core business units, with training and performance management every six months. Specific learning objectives and plans are defined and carried out during each placement, with the ultimate goal of potential full-term employment depending on business needs. “This generation of UAE nationals has the unique responsibility of taking our already extraordinary country to completely new heights,” adds Dr. Greg Ward, managing director, Transguard Group. Saeed Al Marzouqi, senior director – Sales and Strategy, is a UAE national who joined Transguard in 2020; he has a personal appreciation for what is in store for participants in the graduate programme. “This is a diverse business that will offer a multitude of opportunities and positive challenges for those who are ready to tackle them,” he says. Applicants will be scouted at university career fairs and courted using relevant websites Transguard Group debuts new graduate programme for UAE nationalswww.fm-middleeast.com UPDATE 8 November 2021 CLEANING In partnership with China Mobile International (CMI), EVOTEQ is primed to launch a smart bracelet solution powered by Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), a first for the UAE to utilise this technology. Customised to meet the needs of Tandeef, the waste collection division of the Middle East’s sustainability company Bee’ah, the innovative solution aims to enhance the safety and security of street cleaning crew, while improving management efficiency. The announcement came after a signing ceremony held on October 19, 2021 between EVOTEQ and China Mobile International, on the sideline of GITEX 2021, a series of exhibitions and conferences that convenes consumers and traders on areas of information, communication, and technology. The smart bracelet detects vital signs such as heart rate and its temperature-sensor wrist strap enables monitoring of body and environment temperatures. This feature ensures the safety of workers, particularly in extreme weather conditions. The bracelet transmits alarms to the dashboard if the wearer’s vital signs are not in the normal range, enabling early intervention and risk prevention. Furthermore, a one-tap SOS button also allows workers to request urgent on- site assistance in the event of an emergency. Jihad Tayara, chief executive officer of EVOTEQ said: “We are very excited to launch this smart bracelet solution, which we believe is a first in the UAE. We are proud to leverage the expertise of China Mobile International, while advancing the digitalisation efforts at Bee’ah and solidifying their commitment in ensuring the safety of their employees.” On his part, Colin Wang, managing director of China Mobile MEA Region, commented: “We are proud to partner with EVOTEQ and introduce our technology in the UAE for the first time. Since the smart bracelets are NB- IoT enabled, it uses cell phone towers to transmit data instantly and at low power. We are excited that EVOTEQ is using this cost- effective and scalable technology to create new and sustainable efficiencies for their clients.” The smart bracelet solution also enhances management through an integrated dashboard that allows real-time location management, sending cleaning staff to areas where services are required, and guiding them to their designated sites. This feature enables managers to optimise crew deployment and identify areas that need further cleanup. Commending the solution, Rafael Sanjurjo Lopez, CEO of Bee’ah - Tandeef said: “We look forward to sharing the smart bracelets with our street cleanup crew, enhancing their safety while enabling the next level of operational efficiency at Bee’ah Tandeef.” NEWS IN BRIEF Al Bonian FM awarded Nakheel contract for Masakin Al Furjan for 3 more years Masakin Al Furjan (MAF) is a residential community located near Ibn Batt uta shopping mall with 335 apartments split between 7 buildings. Al Bonian FM has worked on the contract for integrated facilities management services for the development since late 2017, delivering hard and soft services. Nakheel Community Management (NCM) renewed its trust in Al Bonian FM to look aft er the facilities for another 3 years. NCM re-tendered the contract for MAF as the contract was expiring and the company managed to submit a favorable commercial and technical bid once again. Mace appointed by global engineering company to operate its manufacturing plants Mace, the global consultancy, construction and facilities management company, has been appointed by an international automotive engineering company, to deliver facilities management (FM) services across its global operations. The business is a cutt ing- edge technology provider that enables vehicles to become safer, more connected, effi cient and sustainable. Mace is planning to off er FM services across 16 locations in across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacifi c. Mace has mobilised its teams across European locations, including Romania – as a fi rst for the facilities management business - to support the client in managing and optimising day to day operations of their manufacturing plants. EVOTEQ to deliver UAE’s fi rst smart bracelet solution for Bee’ah’s street cleaning crew UPDATE WHAT’S THE STORY ServeU launches new security fi rm Ehkam What’s the story? ServeU, a subsidiary of Union Properties, has launched its new security company Ehkam as part of its eff orts to expand and enhance its off ered security services. What are the details? The company’s new venture was founded to raise the bar in terms of delivering technology-driven security solutions, as well as broaden its market footprint and contribute to meeting its target revenue growth by the end of next year. Employing 1,200 security personnel, ServeU has been providing certifi ed security services for two decades to more than 50 clients located across the UAE. It sees its customer base further expanding through Ehkam’s portfolio of services. What did the experts say? Gary Reader, general manager (in pic), said: “Before off ering the most suitable services, we conduct a meticulous initial analysis of their situation and requirements to guarantee that all bases and concerns such as budget and operations are covered. Ehkam will embrace the same principle to ensure client satisfaction at all times.”+700 ACTIVE CONTRACTS +4,300 OPERATIONAL SITES +43 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE +30 NATIONALITIES +330 MW CONNECTED LOAD ISO CERTIFIED 18295 24X7 CUSTOMER HAPPINESS CENTRE +10,000 STAFF STRENGTH +14.9M SQ.M OPERATIONAL AREA +180K TONNES OF AC Toll Free Number 800-AGFS Tel: +971 4 267 0200, +971 2 652 6400 Email: info@agfacilities.com www.agfacilitiesme.com Combining the best practices of traditional facility management expertise with the most advanced technologies available. By fusing both local knowledge and international expertise, AG Facilities Solution’s holistic approach to facilities management and property services has enhanced our clients resources and helped reduce overheads.Next >