Facilities management (FM) market to soar to AED 2.5 trillion in UAE

UAE will account for an estimated value of AED 2.5 trillion, Saudi Arabia will follow at AED 352 billion and Qatar will be a close third at AED 337 billion. Facilities management is an emerging market in the Middle East that has seen rapid growth as a result of the tremendous boom of the construction and the real estate industries.

Macdonald and Company, a leading recruitment consultancy focusing solely on the property industry, is poised to exploit the projected value over the next 25 years of the facilities management market in the region. The recruitment firm has an extensive database of 60,000 candidates from across the globe and a team of consultants, who have acquired industry knowledge and are highly capable of providing clients with expert recruitment insights. In line with its goals, the company has moved one of its senior consultants from their London office, who will handle its facilities management-related accounts and assist companies on the recruitment of high-level practitioners.

"The boom of the facilities management market began in the later part of 2006, as developers and investors realized the need to sustain quality and control maintenance costs long after the completion of the project. Reflective of this is the increasing demand from our developer clients for in-house professionals as well as the growing number of facilities management businesses availing of our services. Further, facilities management practitioners in the region are beginning to take a more significant role, as developers are also learning the value of bringing in a professional during the design phase in order to ensure that the person is fully aware of its facilities from day one,"

said Danielle Le Faucheur, Senior Consultant, Macdonald and Company.

With numerous properties targeted for completion this year, developers have become increasingly aware of the need for an in-house or outsourced facilities management team, resulting in a massive demand for professionals and service providers in the sector. The booming facilities management market has also witnessed the establishment of facilities management providers where demand is high for senior level practitioners, who are able to strategically manage an entire facilities management business in a competitive environment.

"The need for a wider understanding of facilities management and its long-term benefits has never been greater with the phenomenal boom of the construction industry. A developer having the right facilities management team in place, who will assist in the operational side of a property from either a hard or soft facilities management perspective, will be able to achieve crucial maintenance of the high quality standards that its buildings were built to. From a business perspective, efficient facilities management is also a way of ensuring customer satisfaction, and thus, can become a valuable edge over competitors," said William Buck, International Director, Macdonald and Company.

Macdonald and Company sees a tremendous market for facilities management practitioners all over the world to relocate to the region, which is witnessing an unprecedented construction boom with numerous projects expected to be completed this year. Industry professionals can access the recruitment firm's ongoing salary survey at www.macdonaldandcompany.ae, which will be followed by the publication of the Middle East Salary Guide aimed at providing a benchmark for the regional property industry.

The UK-based company, which is the only recruitment agency accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), follows a thorough qualifying process and ensures that corporate clients have access to elite property professionals. With offices across Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, Macdonald is able to provide a wider candidate pool and link prospect employees from all over the globe to potential employers.

"Traditionally, the management of real estate properties in the Middle East was handled by landlords, owners and managers, possibly resulting in insufficient focus on integrated facilities management and how this can positively impact cost management and standards of service in the long run. With the shift to a modern concept in facilities management and the continuing construction boom, we expect a heightened demand for practitioners and service providers in this sector," added Le Faucheur.

Macdonald and Company expanded into Dubai in 2006 and has provided exceptional property and construction professionals to a variety of clients including property developers, consultancies, banks and financial institutions among others. The company's facilities management client portfolio includes several leading service provider businesses as well as developers including Emaar Retail, Emaar FM and Construction, MAB Property Service and Development, Alshaya, DLA Piper, Sorouh, EC Harris International Limited, Emirates Bank, Gems, Limitless, DTZ Bahrain and Al Tayer among others.