< Previous FM @ EXPO 2020 30 November 2021www.fm-middleeast.com Expo 2020 has come up with new standards that raises the bar in FM welfare, writes Tarek Nizameddin, senior executive director at Ejadah T he decision of hosting Expo 2020 meant, “investing in a resilient, long-term future for the UAE economy. However, what impact would it have on the FM industry? The low hanging fruit is the increase in revenue from the services that the FM sector is extending to the communities and facilities that are catering to Expo 2020 directly and indirectly. To me, on the other hand, there is another element that I consider will be a game changer for the FM industry and is related to employee welfare standards. Expo 2020 is a unique opportunity for key stakeholders to collaborate and contribute to creating a positive impact on the welfare of workers. UAE has undoubtedly made great strides in implementing high standards in blue collar resources management with the implementation of minimum acceptable standards for staff accommodation and wage protection system, amongst others. Expo 2020, however, came with new standards that raised the bar by stipulating strict requirements for any individual working on Expo 2020 premises. The Expo 2020 welfare program is based on three core values of Care, Respect and Pride, alongside the six pillars of strategy: Leadership, Communication, Competence, Engagement, Recognition, and Continued Improvement. Expo 2020 has also set a list of principles, which are in line with the UAE labour law, that each and every company working at Expo 2020 must comply with. These principles focus on ensuring fairness in the recruitment mechanism, making certain that employees understand the terms and conditions of work, as well as guaranteeing a just and non- discriminatory treatment of employees. The principles, additionally, focus on protecting and preserving the dignity of RAISING THE BAR Tarek Nizameddin, senior executive director at Ejadah. employees and have zero tolerance for harassment or abuse of any kind. They respect the employees’ right to keep their personal documents, require the payment of employees' wages and benefits on time and in full, guarantee a safe and healthy work environment and provide access to grievance and remediation mechanisms. Moreover, Expo 2020 established standards for the facilities and services provided to the personnel working on Expo 2020 premises. These standards detail the minimum requirements in the areas of staff accommodation, transportation, and catering, amongst others. Expo 2020 also applies a strong audit and compliance programme such that all contractors invited to tender undergo audits and inspection. Contracts were awarded to companies who have demonstrated their ability to commit to the set standards. In conclusion, I believe that the high criteria imposed by Expo 2020 organisers will constitute a pivotal point in manpower management, as they have identified areas for improvement that large facilities management clients are expected to follow and include in their future tenders, which will ultimately manifest positively in terms of the level and quality of services provided. Human resources are nothing less than the backbone of our sector, and we should always keep in mind the beautiful quotation of Richard Branson: “Clients do not come first…. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.” EXPO 2020 IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO COLLABORATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO CREATING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WELFARE OF WORKERS. FM @ EXPO 2020 November 2021 31www.fm-middleeast.com How Farnek secured various contracts at Expo 2020? Markus Oberlin, CEO at Farnek, reveals M arkus Oberlin, CEO at Farnek, reveals that the reason why Farnek was selected to provide FM services to several pavilions at Expo 2020, was because of the Farnek brand which has been present in the UAE market for more than 40 years, during which time it has built a reputation for sustainability and an innovative use of technology – green and smart. Oberlin said: “We were prequalified for the tender process. Within our Expo 2020 proposition, we focused on our experience (Dubai Mall, Dubai Airport, Burj Khalifa and Yas Marina), which highlighted our capability to manage major sites. We also emphasised our highly trained workforce, our international certification, our attention to detail and we underlined where Farnek could add value.” “We faced significant challenges mainly due to the pandemic which delayed the original opening of the event by 12 months. During this time, we were still responsible for the soft and hard services in the Opportunity District, to ensure that it was well maintained and cleaned regularly. We had to be flexible, we were all facing an unprecedented challenge, borders were closed and social restrictions in place. Once the revised contract was awarded for 2021, we were under intense pressure to onboard, train and mobilise our teams. Compounding the situation, many workers were stranded in their home countries and finding it difficult to get the required vaccinations to be able to return to the UAE. Due to the tireless efforts of our human resources department, as you can see, we were successful.” One of the key reasons for that success is Farnek Village, which is its new staff accommodation centre, and is 10 minutes’ drive from the Expo site. Talking about some of the innovative solutions implemented by Farnek at the CLINCHING THE DEAL Markus Oberlin, CEO at Farnek. Expo 2020 site, Oberlin says: “We recently launched HITEK solution 4.0, which from a central control room, connects assets from multiple sites so they can be centrally managed and monitored by utilising the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based technologies. The system supports operational efficiencies, staff welfare, and sustainability while improving manpower efficiency by up to 17% by transferring from traditional FM operational management to HITEK’s smart management.” Other hi-tech solutions developed by Farnek’s in-house development team include a range of cutting-edge technologies and initiatives such as wearable technology and telematics solutions, both of which are a huge benefit when transporting large numbers of staff on a daily basis. For example, Oberlin says: “Our ‘Smart Watches’ not only monitor the activity and locations of our staff, these devices, also monitor heartbeat, blood pressure and body temperature, alerting the control room if there is a health scare.” Over at the Expo Village, Farnek has put into operation ‘Flexi-Guest’, which is its ground-breaking hospitality app that digitalises a hotel guest’s journey from the initial reservation through to check out. The app interfaces with the hotel’s property management system (PMS) affording guests a whole suite of services from uploading travel documents such as vaccination certificates, ordering a car on arrival, room service and laundry. The hotel app can also send automated electronic updates and alerts to the guest, as well as e-registration documents, e-invoices and e-receipts, all in one convenient space. Because the app manages secure online payments, the guest doesn’t even need to physically visit the reception. Farnek, at Expo 2020, manages the entire facilities in the Opportunity District, which consists of a cleaning team of over 1,000 personnel and a technical team of almost 200, along with the adjacent Al Fursan Park. This entails cleaning and technical services. In addition, Farnek was awarded the contract for Expo Village, for which it is responsible for managing the reservation services, concierge, front office and housekeeping, for the 2,273 apartments. The total manpower for the Expo Village is nearly 500. Regarding pavilions, the services that Farnek is providing are varied, ranging from Total FM, to mixed services or in certain instances, standalone services such as technical, cleaning and security. Farnek is involved in Pakistani Pavilion, Moroccan Pavilion, Swiss Pavilion, Bahraini Pavilion, Saudi Arabian Pavilion, Philippines Pavilion, Swedish Pavilion, Chinese Pavilion and ENOC Pavilion. The total manpower for the Country Pavilions is in excess of 400. Oberlin adds: “The duration of our contracts vary in length, from 6.5 months (mid-September 2021 to end of March 2022) upward towards 1.5 years, which in some cases includes hibernation periods and in others buffer periods pre and post event.” SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY 32 November 2021www.fm-middleeast.com A s a sustainable city that is powered 100% by renewables and that recycles 100% of wastewater on site, Sharjah Sustainable City (SSC) will operate on a range of sophisticated technologies and solutions, both at the individual unit level and across the YOUSIF AHMED AL-MUTAWA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY, TALKS ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE ROUTINE AT THE ONGOING SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY project as a whole. Located at Sharjah’s Umm Fannain, Al Rahmaniya area, the city is a joint venture between Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Diamond Developers to meet the highest sustainability standards. The partnership was sealed in March 2018 during an MoU signing ceremony between Shurooq and Diamond Developers. In a conversation with Yousif Ahmed Al-Mutawa, chief executive officer of Sharjah Sustainable City, on the maintenance routine at Sharjah Sustainable City, he says: “The project will involve a number of requirements beyond what your traditional real- SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY Sharjah Sustainable City [rendered image].SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY November 2021 33www.fm-middleeast.com estate development project would have. Matters such as the cleaning of solar panels, maintenance of sophisticated home automation and HVAC technologies, energy management and more will come into play.” Al-Mutawa says that they are still in the process of identifying suitable technology partners, the latest of which was an agreement signed with Hager Group, a global leader in renewable energy storage, in which Sharjah Sustainable City will be the first community in the region to give residents access to a renewable energy storage solution. The agreement formalises an ongoing relationship with the German company to test and deploy the latest technologies and innovations in demand management and smart energy solutions. Al-Mutawa added: “Our maintenance routines will be based on the technology sharing and service-level agreements established with these technology partners, as well as the day- to-day management of the project with regards to areas such as landscaping, maintenance, sanitation and so on.” Talking specifically about solar PV maintenance, he says: “One of the most important elements to solar panel maintenance, especially in the UAE climate which can feature a lot of humidity and dust, is regular cleaning, as the build-up of dust will reduce the amount of sunlight absorbed by the panels. In the cleaning process, it’s important not to use harsh materials or abrasive cleaning products that may damage the surface of the solar panels and reduce their efficiency.” “They also require the regular maintenance of all thermal-based components and circuitry, as well as consistent monitoring to identify any drop in efficiency or energy production and troubleshoot the issue.” In addition, the solar panels will be connected to the energy management systems of the homes they are installed in, which will include the energy storage solutions we mentioned previously, all of which will have to be regularly maintained through O&M contracts with teams of qualified technicians. He said: “Maintaining all of these systems at peak efficiency will be key to delivering the energy savings we are targeting for our homeowners.” Al-Mutawa reveals that FM was an integral part of the feasibility study from the very outset, and was factored in from the conceptualisation and design stage right through to the construction phases. Sustainable communities require the proper FM infrastructure to deliver on their sustainability objectives and cater to the entire development, including both mixed-use and residential buildings. SSC uses water-saving fittings in all kitchens, washrooms and irrigation systems throughout the project. The project has also used energy and water- efficient appliances in the residential units to reduce consumption. In addition, an onsite Sewage Treatment Plant to treat wastewater will produce Treated Sewage Effluent for landscape irrigation, achieving 100% water recycling, and avoiding emissions associated with tankers. The villa orientation at SSC avoids the sun and maximises shading, so all south-facing facades are closed to reduce heat gains. Al-Mutawa said: “We also have highly insulated UV reflective walls, while roofs and windows reduce air-conditioning loads, electricity power consumption, Masterplan.SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY 34 November 2021www.fm-middleeast.com and operational carbon. For outdoors, we use pavers with high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) to reduce heat gains and reduce thermal discomfort. “To give some context, the current Green Building Regulations and Specifications (in Dubai) require an insulation value (U) of 0.30 for roofs, 0.57 for walls, and 2.10 for glazing. In Sharjah Sustainable City, we will achieve insulation values of 0.18 for roofs, 0.26 for walls and 1.20 for glazing. Our design can achieve impressive results and will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the community. Smart home automation and energy- efficient HVAC, electrical fittings and appliances also reduce energy consumption, and solar PV cells are installed on all villa rooftops and built- up areas to achieve an offset of up to 50% on energy usage, thus reducing carbon emissions. With the addition of efficient water saving appliances and fittings, the residential properties of SSC are projected to deliver savings of up to 50% on electricity and water bills for residents.” Smart home automation and energy-effi cient HVAC, electrical fi tt ings and appliances also reduce energy consumption. The villa orientation at SSC avoids the sun and maximises shading.SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY November 2021 35www.fm-middleeast.com In conclusion, Al-Mutawa adds that maintaining all of the sophisticated renewable energy, energy management and home automation systems in the residential units will be crucial to maximising the energy efficiency of the homes and reducing the carbon footprint of the development, which was a core objective from the very outset. “In addition, maintaining the aesthetic appeal and the quality of the community facilities will be key to delivering the holistic and aspirational lifestyle that we are promising homebuyers in Sharjah Sustainable City. Therefore, I can say that the facilities management of Sharjah Sustainable City will be one of the most crucial elements to the project.” ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO SOLAR PANEL MAINTENANCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE UAE CLIMATE WHICH CAN FEATURE A LOT OF HUMIDITY AND DUST, IS REGULAR CLEANING, AS THE BUILD-UP OF DUST WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT ABSORBED BY THE PANELS. Key Figures • Location: Sharjah’s Umm Fannain, Al Rahmaniya Area • Area Developers: Shurooq & Diamond Developers • Total Development Cost: AED 2 Billion • Total Project Area: 7.2 Million Sq. Ft. of land • Number of Villas: 1,120 divided into blocks of 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom villas ranging between 2,035 sq. ft . to 3,818 sq. ft . • Other Facilities: Green mosque, school, mixed use, sports and wellness facilities Yousif Ahmed Al-Mutawa, chief executive offi cer of Sharjah Sustainable City. Villas at SSC. INTERVIEW 36 November 2021www.fm-middleeast.com Divisional CEO of iREC Holdings Naser Barhoum gives a candid interview about his roles and responsibilities at iREC YOU’VE BEEN QUITE PROMINENT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF. I’m originally from Jordan and have a degree in mechanical engineering, but have worked in the UAE for more than 17 years for some of the biggest developers and operators in the country. While I started my career in facilities management, I’ve also held senior roles across community management and customer service. I’m married to my wife Linda and have 3 children and my preferred hobbies are mainly traveling and reading. I joined Eltizam Group in November 2020, originally to be the executive vice president – Real Estate and was promoted to be divisional CEO for iREC Holdings in 2021. My time leading iREC has been fast-paced with the acquisitions of both Kingfield Owners Association and Inspire Properties as well as the establishment of SimmiTEK. Most recently, I led the establishment of Three60 Communities in Egypt as part of the geographic expansion of IREC’s strategy. YOU’RE NOW THE DIVISIONAL CEO OF iREC HOLDINGS, THIS ISN’T A NAME WE’RE FAMILIAR WITH IN THE MARKET. IS IT A NEW ENTITY? Not exactly. Whilst iREC Holdings is a recently established holding company, it’s the result of acquisitions and a restructure of some well-known brands. iREC is a subsidiary holding company of Eltizam Asset Management Group which is ultimately owned by ADQ and IHC. iREC is then the parent company of Three60 Communities, Kingfield Owners Association, THE RIGHT ASSET SimmiTEK, Omnious Estates and Inspire Properties. The acquisition of Kingfield and Inspire Properties during 2021 led to a requirement to restructure our portfolio of brands operating in the Property Management, Owners Association Management and Technical Facilities Management and Energy Audit sectors under one holding company. So the brand, iREC may be unfamiliar to the market but the work we do and the brands that we own are well known. HOW DO YOU SEE iREC’S INFLUENCE ON THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY? With the companies we have within iREC Holdings, we’re managing about 100,000 units, across 100+ different towers and communities. In each of these, one of our responsibilities is to manage the facilities management services and therefore our teams need to be experts in the spectrum of FM service delivery - from a cost, quality and scope perspective. We are currently managing over 180 FM related contracts as well as a supplier spend of over AED600m annually. When I saw the vision of the Eltizam Group from both the community and facilities management side, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of and that would really impact the FM landscape in the MENA region. Through our Inspire Properties entity, we are servicing both the property and facilities management requirements of ICD Brookfield Place. As the most iconic commercial building in the region and only LEAD accredited building in the region, we are helping to set the standard in FM for the ultra-high-end commercial real estate sector. YOU’VE BEEN A PROMINENT FIGURE ACROSS THE REAL ESTATE MARKET FOR MANY YEARS, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE FM MARKET CHANGING? As I mentioned, I’ve been fortunate to have been working in the UAE for over 17 years, which has included roles on the client side with the biggest developers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the service providers side. In our communities, we have relooked at the FM operations across every service line. In Dubai, linked to the RERA regulations, we generally do not appoint TFM suppliers, meaning that we have a greater input into a number of the traditional “specialist” contractors – assessing their interdependencies with other services and variances in scope options. This has led our teams to a more detailed understanding of the market and challenge the service providers on a more micro level. One of the big changes I’ve seen is the effectiveness in technology use. Technology has always been a part of the FM industry, although I don’t believe it has advanced at the incredible rate that the generic tech space has. We’ve now had the time to assess the true impact of the early technologies and have honest reflection on whether it was implemented and utilised correctly. The answer is often that it has not been the case. However, the market has matured in both the technology available, the scale at which it is adopted and, lately, being a prerequisite for certain clients. This has also been helped by the building technology of newer assets – demanding the FM companies INTERVIEW November 2021 37www.fm-middleeast.com increase their capability to benefit from this. I have also witnessed increasing awareness and requirements from customers related to Environmental and Sustainability across our portfolio. With energy costs being a key component of building costs, we are focused on providing innovative solutions to our customers that will assist them to reduce both energy consumption and costs. WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE MARKET AND HOW ARE iREC HOLDINGS HELPING TO IMPLEMENT THIS? We would like to see greater clarity and longer-term contracts. The greater clarity is around the transparency of service providers’ reporting. We know that most CAFM systems and other technology solutions have the capability for live client visibility. We also know that most FM companies assure clients that they will receive this access. However, it is often not the case. This is not always an attempt to hide information but can be due to lack of training, or training not being given to the actual operators carrying out the work. Longer term contracts relate to the industry benefit of creating true partnerships with FM companies. We want clients to enter contracts where they work together with the FM providers, so that the FM providers can invest in the contract to provide a superior service at a lower cost but aren’t having to refrain due to unnecessary risks or limited payback periods. We know that longer term contracts produce the best results in mature facilities and markets, but there is still a resistance in the standard residential and commercial markets at the moment. We’re hopefully helping to change this. IS iREC PLANNING TO OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THE UAE MARKET? iREC has been operating in Oman for 5 years through its subsidiary Three60 Communities, and we have recently also established Three60 Communities in Egypt. We are currently in the process of expanding into KSA and with the support of our shareholders we have the capability to rapidly expand into markets where we believe we can add value. So it’s a very busy time for us. Naser Barhoum, divisional CEO of iREC Holdings. TECHNOLOGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE FM INDUSTRY, ALTHOUGH I DON’T BELIEVE IT HAS ADVANCED AT THE INCREDIBLE RATE THAT THE GENERIC TECH SPACE HAS. SUPPLIER NEWS www.fm-middleeast.com38 November 2021 WASHROOM VERTECO, the forward- thinking specialist in water conservation solutions, smart washroom technologies and smart water management, is delighted to announce that it is partnering with Propelair to bring the brand’s sustainable toilets to the UAE. The world’s lowest water-flush toilet, Propelair’s innovative product is empowering businesses across the region to save money, improve their operational efficiencies, enhance their washroom hygiene and reduce water consumption. Manufactured in the UK, Propelair’s cutting-edge technology brings numerous environmental benefits. Using over 80 percent less water than a standard toilet and producing over 76 percent less carbon, last year Propelair successfully saved the world 47 million litres of water. In addition, there are many positives from a business point of view, with the intelligent innovation found to reduce water and sewage repair bills by up 60 percent, and significantly lower the risk CLEANING Karcher partnered with Ejadah to celebrate ‘Thank Your Cleaner Day 2021’. “We are delighted to partner with Ejadah to highlight the importance of the daily efforts made by cleaners all around the country, they deserve our undivided recognition. It is time to say Thank You and show appreciation for the work they do,” Said Joe Lahoud, managing director, Karcher Middle East. Created by Karcher in 2015 in New- Zealand, this initiative took place on 20 October 2021 for the sixth time. The UAE now joins a long list of over 50 countries The company has partnered with Propelair to supply a new water-effi cient, hygienic and cost- eff ective toilet for public washrooms VERTECO to distribute Propelair technology, the world’s lowest water-fl ush toilet, across the UAE This initiative took place on 20 October 2021 Karcher partners with Ejadah to celebrate ‘Thank Your Cleaner Day 2021’ of blockages. Ultra-hygienic, it perhaps most importantly diminishes the risk of airborne germs by 95 percent, and creates a cleaner and more comfortable experience for users. The Propelair toilet is the latest addition to VERTECO’s award-winning portfolio of water saving technologies and smart washroom sensor-driven 3D IoT solutions. Aiming to promote responsible behaviours and lower the UAE’s collective water footprint whilst helping businesses to improve their operational efficiencies, the progressive company has been shaking up the Middle East’s facilities management sector since it launched its regional office in Dubai in 2010. As well as distributing the new Propelair product to businesses across the region, VERTECO is also delighted to offer a full installation service and maintenance support for every client that purchases these groundbreaking washroom enhancers. The Propelair toilet incorporates a two- part cistern, with one used for air and one for water. Before flushing, the lid is closed and a seal is formed, effectively stopping 95 percent of germs from being blown up into the air and settling on touch surfaces such as door handles, locks and toilet-roll dispensers. When the flush sensor is activated and water and air enter the pan to clean it, nothing can escape from the sealed lid and the entire contents of the pan are flushed away and completed within three seconds. It is then ready to be re-flushed for the next user within 20 to 30 seconds. David Hollander, CEO of Propelair, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with VERTECO to help businesses across the country discover the benefits of our water- efficient toilet.” worldwide to introduce, for the first time this celebration day in the UAE. “We are delighted to be part of this initiative with a globally recognized partner in our industry such as Karcher. We will be taking diverse actions to let our teams around the country know how much we are thankful for all the hard work they do,” said Andrea Yoko, head of Soft Services, Ejadah As a pioneering facilities management and building maintenance company, Ejadah handles 247 projects with the help of their passionate team of 4,300 cleaners to improve the standard of living in the UAE. Karcher is the world’s leading provider of efficient, resource-conserving cleaning machines, equipment and systems. By establishing the Thank Your Cleaner Day, Karcher’s engagement in social responsibility and sustainability is now taking another step further. Appreciation cards. Propelair toilet.SUPPLIER NEWS www.fm-middleeast.comNovember 2021 39 POWER EcoFlow expanded into the Middle East with its DELTA Max range to create a revolutionary disruption in how people consume power. With their renewable power solutions that make an industrial amount of power accessible to consumers, EcoFlow is set to recharge their customers lives as the season for outdoor activities approaches. Whether you are camping in the great outdoors or hiking, EcoFlow’s portable power stations are the ideal solution for stress-free off-grid adventures. Commenting on EcoFlow’s product durability for outdoor activities, Thomas Chen, R&D Director at EcoFlow, said “With the help of our pioneers at EcoFlow, we successfully curated one stop shop devices that cater to everyone’s needs. Our products are powerful, EXPO 2020 The region’s Swedish home furnishing retailer, Al-Futtaim IKEA, announced the launch of its standalone Café of around 2150 sq. ft. located at the Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Built around the theme of ‘co-creation for innovation’ with a strong focus on sustainability, IKEA’s main ambition is to enable and inspire more than 70 million people to live a better life everyday by the year 2025. Under the guidance of the Al-Futtaim Group and the theme - ‘Always a Force for Good’, IKEA celebrates this key moment of national pride as the UAE brings to life sustainable food options aimed at creating a better future for everyone at the Expo 2020 Dubai. Visitors from around the world will be joining the making of a new world and experience a six-month journey of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture. The engineers at EcoFlow equipped the RIVER portable power station with a handy 288Wh Battery Capacity EcoFlow launches portable power stations The wood used in the Café comes from sustainable sources IKEA launches fi rst stand-alone Café in Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai sustainable, and are perfect for all outdoor activities. One station can power an entire RV whilst remaining durable and dust resistant. Our products allow to freely explore, wander and sit back.” EcoFlow offers a wide range of solutions designed to suit different consumer needs and lifestyles. Starting with the EcoFlow RIVER, a portable power station meticulously designed for outdoor usage. The EcoFlow RIVER uses the market-leading X-stream and is engineered for fast recharging time to maximize usage efficiency, allowing for effortless transport, and access to power anywhere utilizing the solar & car charging. The engineers at EcoFlow equipped the RIVER portable power station with a handy 288Wh Battery Capacity, which enables the generator to power devices up to 1800W using the X-Boost technology and is compatible with 80% of essential devices. The generator’s battery capacity can easily be expanded from 288Wh to 576Wh by integrating with an extra battery. Following the success of EcoFlow RIVER, the engineers developed EcoFlow RIVER Max, the expanded version of RIVER. On the occasion of the launch of Café by Al-Futtaim IKEA, Vinod Jayan, Managing Director at IKEA UAE, Oman, Qatar and Egypt said: “At IKEA our aim is to inspire everyone in the UAE and beyond to live a better life and enjoy a brighter tomorrow with initiatives such as plant- based food which is more sustainable for our planet. The launch of our new Café in the Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is completely in sync with the Swedish Pavilion objectives of showcasing how Sweden is building transparent, smart cities, innovating life sciences and developing a bio-circular economy. The Café by Al-Futtaim IKEA also closely aligns with the larger Expo 2020 Dubai theme – ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.” The Café by Al-Futtaim IKEA will bring freshly brewed organic coffee certified by UTZ, a non-profit organisation that ensures the highest sustainable farming standards, better conditions for workers and complete transparency and traceability right from coffee plantation to cup. The café includes the signature salmon that comes from the renowned Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s responsible seafood practices certified farms in addition to the mouth watering IKEA plant balls. With the same great taste and texture as the classic meatballs, the plant balls are just 4 percent of the climate footprint. The Café by Al-Futtaim IKEA. EcoFlow’s portable power stations .Next >