Rapid growth in the facilities management industry in the Gulf region, driven by the ongoing construction boom and maturing property market, will be highlighted at a new industry conference being launched in Dubai.

The ‘Property & Facilities Management Conference’, taking place from June 8 to 12, arrives at a time when research forecasts by Middle East Strategy Advisors (MESA) have shown that the FM industry in the UAE alone is potentially worth $704 billion, with the markets in Saudi Arabia and Qatar worth $96 billion and $92 billion respectively.

Organised by Streamline Marketing Group, the five-day conference at the Dusit Dubai Hotel is being staged as part of FM Expo, the region’s only exhibition dedicated to facilities management. Together with FM Expo, the conference will set new trends within the region’s FM industry.

Among the key issues to be addressed by more than 25 regional and international speakers will be the UAE’s new strata law and its impact on owners associations, discussed by two strata law experts Peter Crogan and Adrian Quinn, latest FM technology, energy management, green buildings, sustainability and FM best practice guidelines.

The conference will be chaired by two worldwide renowned FM professionals, Mick Dalton, immediate past chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management and Stan Mitchell, director of Key, and chairman Global FM.

“A huge investment is being undertaken to effectively manage, maintain and sustain buildings in this region and the requirement for FM expertise in the Gulf is luring many new players,” said Dalton.

The conference programme includes a case study of facilities management at the world's tallest building and an overview of industry growth areas including best practice energy management and sustainability.

Some of the key speakers on these topics include Dr Sadek Owainati, founder and chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council, Khaled Bushnaq, director of energy management services and Markus Oberlin, general manager of Farnek Avireal.

The conference will conclude with numerous question and answer sessions, giving attendees the opportunity to discuss their most pressing issues with industry leaders.

Three post-conference workshops at the Dubai Novotel Hotel from June 10 to 12 will be led by Stan Mitchell, CEO of Key Facilities Management Ltd, Jim Whittaker, president of US-based Facility Engineering Associates, and Peter Crogan, CEO of BCS Strata Management Services. – TradeArabia News Service