Middle East Facilities Management Association set to hold 6th edition of Confex

Outlook for sector remains positive with UAE expecting 8.5 per cent CAGR in five years

The Middle East Facilities Management Association (MEFMA), the region's leading platform for FM professionals, wider construction industry stakeholders and owner associations, has announced that it will hold its 6th edition of the Annual MEFMA Confex at the Address Hotel Dubai Marina, UAE, on March 13 and 14, 2017. This year’s edition will explore the multifaceted facilities management (FM) industry with a key focus on the people connecting each aspect of the sector.

Based on recent industry reports, the global outsourced FM industry is expected to be worth USD 1 trillion by 2025--with integrated services to have a fair share of 35 per cent of the sector’s revenue by then. With these projections, the local FM segment is expected to have positioned itself as being at par with international standards and be recognized as a competitive player in the international market, which complements the UAE’s bid to become among the best countries providing world-class services in every aspect.

Two workshops on ‘Successful Implementation of Stakeholder Management in FM’ and ‘Career Development – Surviving and Thriving in the FM World’ will be held on the opening of the three-day event. The second day will feature panel discussions and several sessions on key themes and issues affecting the FM industry, particularly stakeholder management in FM, innovation and technology in FM, creating synergy through TFM, leadership in FM, and FM with the Owners Association Industry. High-profile speakers and panellists from major regional firms such as Emaar, Meraas, Initial Saudi, Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, and CREDO, among others, are lined up.

There will also be a small exhibition showcasing the latest FM solutions and services on the sidelines of the event.

Jamal Abdulla Lootah, President of MEFMA, CEO of Imdaad said: “The regional FM industry remains robust following mega projects that continue to come up across various sectors. There is very high expectation in countries like the UAE where the compounded annual growth rate is seen to remain steady at around 8.5 per cent during the next five years, given the serious efforts of the government to achieve the goals of UAE Vision 2021, particularly in infrastructure which is one of the key pillars of the nation. We look forward to explore the ways in which the FM sector can contribute in achieving these goals during the three-day event.”

“The global outsourced FM industry is expected to be worth USD 1 trillion by 2025, with integrated services to have a fair share of 35 per cent of the sector’s revenue by then. With these projections, we hope to bring the local FM sector at par with international standards and be a competitive player in the international market as the UAE bids to become among the best countries providing world-class services in every aspect,” Lootah noted.

“This year’s MEFMA Confex will address the growing demand for quality and professionalism in the FM sector and we aim to put at the heart of the discussion the importance of people working in facilities management as a career. Education is, therefore, a key factor given that the increasing trend across the UAE and the GCC FM market is to outsource FM services,” he concluded.

This year’s edition of the event is being held in partnership with key sponsors that include Cofely Besix Facility Management (Technical and Infrastructure Sponsor), Advanced Facilities Management (Catering Sponsor), United Facilities Management (FM Excellence Sponsor), Initial Saudi Group (Saudi FM Support Sponsor), Khansaheb Group FM (GCC-Wide FM Sponsor), GRAKO LLC (Cleaning Sponsor) and Imdaad (Energy Management Sponsor).

MEFMA is a non-profit organization, which acts on behalf of the regional FM community to address concerns and provide a platform for its members as well as stakeholders to share their expertise, views and insights about the industry – from sustainability to the impact of digital transformation.