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Kuwait’s FM sector set for huge growth

Kuwait, August 19, 2014

The raft of new building projects in Kuwait will drive the expansion of the facilities management (FM) sector in the country as owners demand higher service levels to match their investment, a report said.

Facilities management services allow building owners to allocate all of their maintenance, cleaning and security services to one management company, said the report issued ahead of the first Facility Management Congress in Kuwait.

Kuwait is behind the UAE, US and western Europe where the sector is well developed and building owners recognise the economic benefits, it said.

The new event, on September 22 at the International Fair in Kuwait City during the first day of The Big 5 Kuwait construction show, looks set to help Kuwait move forward in the sector.

Mick Dalton, chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management, who will chair the event, said: “Operations and maintenance and cleaning are known but in Kuwait the wide term of FM is not.”

The FM Congress will cover the sector, from initial involvement in construction projects and its role in retaining a building’s value, through to increasing the lifecycle of the asset, sustainability and energy saving.  

It will include case studies as some of the country’s prestigious projects including FM at Sabah Al Salem University, sustainable initiatives at Sief Palace, value engineering at the Council of Minister’s Building and facilities management implementation in Kuwait’s hospitals.

“Facilities management is a vital discipline because it ‘translates’ the high-level, strategic change required by senior decision makers into day-to-day reality for people in their work or living space,” said Dalton.

“Like most of GCC, Kuwait will embrace FM and companies will come to market both home grown and international. The market will evolve from where it is today and stakeholders will appreciate when FM is performed well.”

The new building projects will have an influence on the understanding of FM as the systems and technology involved require integrated management and its investors seek reassurance over the protection of their asset.

“In recent years, a heightened awareness of the FM sector has been evident, like the growth in large iconic buildings and the need to keep them well maintained,” he said.

“Other factors include the increasing attention being paid to the sector by the financial community and outsourcing as a ‘hot’ management topic.”

Bassam N Hamady, resident engineer at Sabah Al-Salem University City, the mega-project 15km south of Kuwait city, will talk about integrated FM at the $6 billion university project that covers six sq km, which will be home to more than 39,000 students.

“FM is badly needed in Kuwait for many reasons, there is a lack of awareness on the subject, not in practice and poorly used in many facilities or where there are adverse weather conditions,” said Hamady.

“The public sector is moving forward with the Kuwaitization process especially in the administrative sections, which means that more Kuwaitis will be in charge to manage FM contracts,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Kuwait | building | project | FM |

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