The Middle East Facility Management Association (Mefma) recently held a seminar in Kuwait as part of its continuous bid to enhance the regional facilities management (FM) market’s growth and competitiveness.

Mefma has been holding regularly a series of interactive seminars in different parts of the region to discuss the most pressing issues affecting the reality and future of the sector in light of the rapid technological progress and a growing sustainability trend, said a statement from the company.

During the Kuwait seminar, Mefma senior officials joined a group of industry experts and decision makers.

The attendees discussed the latest FM products and services developed to help conserve energy and water, reduce carbon footprint, and improve air quality inside the buildings.

They also focused on how leaders in the local construction industry, facilities’ owners, and utility managers can implement the best global industry practices in relation to managing the facilities, it said.

The discussion was in line with Mefma’s efforts to standardise the dynamic FM processes in the Middle East to effectively address emerging challenges and optimise current and future market opportunities, it added.

Mefma’s vice president Ali AlSuwaidi stressed the importance of Kuwait adopting the best practices as the local FM market continues to offer immense growth prospects amid the growing demand for integrated and cost-efficient services and enhanced operational activities.

He said Mefma will continue to unify the standards in the Middle East, drive sustainability, and adopt the latest technological innovations to ensure quality, efficiency and excellence in the delivery of FM services in keeping with the regional and global digital transformation initiatives.

AlSuwaidi said: “Today, FM services are becoming increasingly important in maintaining asset value in the midst of the continuous adoption of new technologies. These high-tech tools are designed to achieve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and lessen carbon emissions.”

“We are pleased to be able to communicate today with key stakeholders in Kuwait to identify the most important current and future challenges. During our discussions, we were also given an opportunity to develop a clear road map for the local utilities management sector, which is considered a vital contributor to the growth of the GCC sector,” he added.

Ahmad Al Kandari, Mefma board member, and vice chairman and CEO of United Facilities Management, made a presentation titled ‘Essential Drivers to Successful FM Projects’ during the event.

In addition, he gave an overview of the key pillars supporting the objectives of the utility management segment.

Al Kandari said: “Mefma continues to play an important role in the continuing growth and development of the FM industry - ensuring that compliance with the highest standards of efficiency, quality, and sustainability are met, including the move to incorporate newer innovations aimed at reducing operational and administrative costs and strengthening ongoing sustainability efforts.”

“In line with this, we remain steadfast with our commitment to enrich knowledge and transfer expertise to public and private sector stakeholders in Kuwait as part of the continuing move to lay solid foundation for successful local and regional management strategies,” he added.

Stan Mitchell, chief executive officer of Key Facilities Management, and a pioneer in the global FM market, also lectured on ‘Facilities Management - What it really is and How it can deliver Added Value to every Organization’.

During his talk, he highlighted the effective role of FM in the development of Kuwait’s key sectors such as the government, commercial, and industrial sectors. Mitchell also showcased the enormous opportunities in the FM sector with regard to Kuwait’s socio-economic growth.

Other speakers were Ahmed Al-Eisa, vice chairman and chief executive officer, Engineering Systems Group, who shed light on the ‘FM Win - Win Equation’; Suleiman Barada, managing partner (MEA), S2E Transformation Inc, who presented the ‘Digital Transformation in FM – The Business Case’; and Ahmad Al-Maraghi, Engineer OSC Maintenance, Services and Commercial, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, who focused on the ‘Highly Efficient and Cost-Saving Green Building.’

AlSuwaidi moderated a panel discussion titled ‘Implementing Best Practices for the FM Industry in Kuwait’ to put the spotlight on Kuwait’s progress in implementing the best practices in the FM sector as well as the current challenges and tools needed to improve the local sector’s efficiency to boost its growth and sustainability.

The seminar provided the participants an ideal platform to gain an in-depth understanding of the life cycle of buildings, the facilities assessment mechanisms, and the collection of reliable asset information from the teams involved in the design, construction, building, testing, and commissioning stages.

The attendees also discussed key training programme designed to enhance human resources management.

The event was attended by VIPs, including Ameera Sultan Bouftain, acting head O&M Section, State Audit Bureau; Elie Emile Khalife, chief executive officer, Ecovert FM; Dr Khalid Al-Mutawa, executive business consultant and vice chief executive officer, Engineering Systems Group; and Lama Al Fadala, chief executive officer of Taiba Hospital.-TradeArabia News Service