Integrated Facilities Management Contracts are the Future, says Middle East's Al Shirawi FM

'One stop shop’ facilities management contracts are the future for the FM industry in the Middle East, according to Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC, one of the region's leading facilities services providers.

With the FM sector estimated to be valued at over $5bn this year, it represents one of the largest budgetary considerations for developers. According to industry experts, outsourcing multiple maintenance requirements to one single service provider can result in as much as 10 to 20 percent savings per annum across the sector.

Speaking ahead of the FM EXPO, co-located with The Big 5, Navin Valrani, CEO of Al Shirawi Facilities Management, said: "An integrated FM solution is by far the best solution when it comes to value for money. There will always be a need for specialist subcontractors in some areas but their services need to be coordinated and managed by an FM company.

“Developers are realising that outsourcing their FM needs to several different suppliers simply isn’t as cost or time effective anymore. There are options now; developers don’t have to sacrifice quality for cost, and we’re finally seeing a change in habits. Facilities management has come a long way in the past 20 years in this region.”

With an estimated 600,000 square metres of office space slated for completion across Dubai in 2011, experts predict that the FM industry can expect growth across the region into 2012. Mr. Valrani commented: “The abundance of newly completed properties across Dubai has had a strong impact on the FM sector. Properties need to be managed, whether vacant or not, which has resulted in a 25 percent increase in sales for us at Al Shirawi this year.”

It isn’t just occupied buildings that require comprehensive FM solutions, unoccupied properties need to be properly maintained to ensure health and safety standards are met. With Dubai’s occupancy rates sitting at 44 percent in the office market, developers have more reason than ever to source out economical maintenance solutions.

David Thompson, Exhibition Manager, dmg :: events, said: “This will be the fourth year that Al Shirawi FM has sponsored the event and we’re delighted to have them on board again this year. Al Shirawi has always had a strong presence in the UAE’s FM industry, and acting as one of the founding members of MEFMA, they recognise the need to educate others in the importance of quality FM. They are in a prime position to spread this message, which can only result in good things for the industry at large.”