The Middle East Facility Management Association (Mefma) recently hosted a major workshop and networking event to highlight the significant role that the facilities management (FM) sector has been playing in Saudi Arabia's rapidly thriving freehold property segment.

The one-day event was held at the Sofitel Hotel in Jeddah under the sponsorship of Mefma corporate members Al Mahmal Facilities Services Company.

Mefma, a non-profit professional organization, said the event featured a panel discussion covering the topic, 'The strategic role of FM in Saudi Freehold Property Sector.'

Leading industry experts Mohammad Al Duraibi, a member of the board of directors, Mefma; Hazim Al Dabbagh, the managing partner, SureFix Facility Management; Kristina Ruehland, a consultant for Property and Community Management, Abdul Latif Jameel Land and Colin Caulfield, the project director at Select FM a entity managed by EFS Facility Management.

Besides the panel discussion, the event also hosted a workshop facilitated by Ruehland and Al Dabbagh, followed by a networking break that allowed participants to explore potential partnership opportunities.
Attendees were later awarded with a certificate of attendance at the conclusion of the workshop and networking event.

On the event's success, Jamal Lootah, the president of Mefma, said: "This workshop proves to be very timely and strategic, as we are currently witnessing an increased demand for FM-based services across Saudi Arabia's property market, particularly the freehold property segment."

The workshop was aimed towards helping Mefma further consolidate its ties with the kingdom's various associations and organisations operating in the FM sector, said Lootah.

"It represents a key opportunity for us to facilitate a smooth exchange of expertise and knowledge to discuss industry challenges and develop solutions to address them," he added.-TradeArabia News Service