UAE facilities management sector likely to grow 10% next year

The UAE’s facilities management (FM) industry is expected to growth 10 per cent in 2023, as trends shift in favour of differentiated services that lead to demonstrable outcomes such as energy and cost savings and reduced tenant/occupant churn, according to an industry expert.

“The FM industry will be increasingly prefixed by the word ‘integrated’ in 2023, with stakeholders hoping to bridge silos between people, technologies and systems in facilities. It will lead to the standardisation of computer-aided facility management (CaFM) adoption and IoT-led [Internet of Things] operations. The resulting impact on tenant experiences, energy conservation/management, sustainability goals, and cost savings will invite supportive government policies and incentives,” said Sangeetha B, CEO of Amantra FM.

Sangeetha’s notions about widespread technology adoption in the industry are supported by a few tell-tale signs this year. FM operators and owners have been in the market for IoT and CaFM solutions. The increased demand has, in turn, necessitated service providers to revamp their value propositions. Those developments have worked in favour of service providers, such as Amantra. “Differentiated services, along with niche marketing, are increasingly getting the better of mass marketing FM models. Though the pandemic was a causal factor behind this shift, there are structural trends, such as digital transformation. Owners and FM operators are inclined toward service providers who may not have broad-based solutions but show visible positive outcomes in their niche offerings,” Sangeetha says.  The industry’s technology adoption will be attuned to national priorities, according to Amantra FM, which has been vocal about its commitment to the UAE Vision 2025.