“Integrated
facilities management” might sound like a complex and
complicated term, but its purpose is just the opposite: to simplify.
Just ask Imdaad, an innovative United Arab Emirates company that, at
only 10 years old, is showing the region that simplifying can be
synonymous with success.
The Dubai-based Imdaad puts all
of its many arms — waste and environmental management, pest control,
sewage treatment services, energy solutions and more — into one main
body, and in doing so is creating jobs and growing in a highly
competitive arena.
At the end of January, Imdaad announced
that it was acquiring a local for-profit fire department and all of
its infrastructure under a $16 million investment plan.
It is also structuring new partnership contracts to help it manage
its significant holdings, including mosques, parks and hospitality
facilities. The company now has an agreement with the Islamic Affairs and
Charitable Activities in Dubai (IACAD) and other partners.
The company’s announcements coincide with significant growth in
the facilities management (FM) industry. Experts estimates that the GCC
spent nearly $900 billion in facilities management in the past
quarter-century.
Imdaad CEO Jamal Abdullah Lootah said the
opportunity is there to become a leader in the region, as the UAE’s
facilities management industry lags far behind those in Europe and
North America, even though it is accelerating quickly.
“To capitalize on considerable opportunities in the local and
regional FM sectors, we at Imdaad are intensifying our efforts to
keep up with the latest trends and developments in these markets,
especially in terms of technological innovations,” Lootah said.
“For 2017, we have laid out an all-encompassing road map that will
ensure both exceptional delivery of services to our clientele and
significant contributions to the Emirates’ socioeconomic prosperity
in line with the goals of UAE Vision 2021.”
Lootah recently discussed the company’s multifaceted growth with the Gulf
News Journal, citing the firefighting acquisition as well as an
initiative called “TATWIR,” which is intended to support the
personal and professional growth of Imdaad’s staff. The word “Tatwir” means development in Arabic. The initiative’s goal is to find, develop and keep employees with high-potential talent to help solidify Imdaad’s role in the future.
“We posted revenues of more than $136 million during the same
period (2016), generating more new business to boost profit margins
and enhance our overall revenue growth,” Lootah said.
Lootah also talked about efforts to pursue research and
development, along with a major investment plan that’s meant to
take Imdaad to the next level.
“All of these are but new strategic additions to our unwavering
efforts to maintain our market leadership and introduce pioneering
solutions and innovative services to our target markets,” Lootah said.
“Additionally, as part of our mission, we will always emphasize
deploying eco-friendly equipment and sustainable technologies to
contribute to the UAE’s sustainable development.”
The use of eco-friendly and sustainable strategies that Lootah
mentioned dovetails with a national policy of diversifying the
economy away from oil and pursuing new opportunities around renewable
energy sources. A February 10 article in The
National details just a few of the big changes that
UAE leaders are making not only to save the planet but also to add
vitality to the nation’s economic output.
In today’s world,
growth and innovation are what keep companies like Imdaad, and
nations like the UAE, on top.
