The facilities management (FM) market in Saudi Arabia is currently worth $20 to $25 billion and is growing at over 10 per cent year on year, said a report ahead of the annual conference of Middle East Facilities Management Association (Mefma).
 
Supported by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) as a non-profit association, Mefma provides a dedicated platform for FM professionals, wider construction industry stakeholders and owner associations.

The research was conducted by Credo, a leading advisory services firm, in partnership with Mefma following a survey of suppliers and customers of FM in Saudi Arabia.

The Mefma Confex 2015 will be held under the theme ‘Smart Cities, Smart Technology; Smarter FM’ from March 16 to 17 at the Address Marina Hotel in Dubai, UAE.

"Saudi Arabia has the potential to be far and away the largest FM market in the region but up until now it has been relatively unsophisticated and driven almost exclusively by low-cost labour supply," said Alistair Stranack, the partner and head of Credo Middle East.

"Trends in both public and private sectors are starting to change that.  In the private sector, a new generation of smart city developments is coming on line and in the public sector, a new government initiative is under way to improve the standards of FM across its estate," he added.

Credo will be presenting highlights from its report, including details on a government initiative to increase asset management standards atthe conference.

The proposal addresses procurement, service management and human resource development and aims to put in place regulation that will professionalise the FM industry.  

Likewise, James Garbutt from Realpoint Real Estate Consultancy will focus on the UAE market by laying out details of a new star rating system, which is a Rera initiative to audit buildings throughout Dubai.

Tim Winter of KPMG will be discussing the smart use of technology to drive FM delivery and performance, while Gabriel Uribe will highlight the latest innovations being applied to smart cities, amongst many other speakers.

Mefma president Jamal Lootah said the FM industry is central to the realisation of a smart cities vision that all countries in the Middle East have.

"Through the Confex, delegates will have an insight into the latest innovations and building management solutions that will help city planners and developers understand the importance of our industry and its impact on the built environment," he added.-TradeArabia News Service