Cluttons, the global real estate services company with a presence in the Middle East and across the globe, is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, making it the oldest practicing firm of chartered surveyors in the world.

The company was founded in 1765; eleven years before the US and over 200 years before the foundation of the UAE, where it later established offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

In the early 1970s, Cluttons was the first UK real estate company to open an office in the Middle East, where it continues to expand with 160 employees.

Following the company’s rebrand in 2014, the firm has repositioned its Middle East business with a new regional headquarters in the heart of New Dubai.

Today, the firm continues to strengthen its position as the Middle East’s market leader, delivering real estate expertise to high profile projects such as Tecom’s Villa Lantana in Dubai, Dragon City in Bahrain and the Government of Sharjah’s Tilal City amongst the most recent.

Back in the UK, Cluttons has also been a leading provider to London’s Great Estates for 250 years and is now the market leader in the telecoms sector, managing over 100,000 leasehold interests.

In the past year, the company has established a global facilities management business and opened offices in emerging markets, including India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Bill Siegle, senior partner at Cluttons, said: "We are proud of our heritage, but the firm continues to look forward and we are investing in the future as we begin our 250th anniversary celebrations."

"To mark the achievement there will be a number of events throughout the year, including attempting to raise £250,000 ($373,615) for charity and sponsorship of an industry wide competition to promote innovation and forward thinking in property," he stated.

Although one of the oldest real estate companies in the world, Cluttons has always been a forward thinking business, developing innovative ideas and approaches to service delivery that makes life easier for its clients, he added.

Cluttons’ founder, John Clutton was the first president of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, which is the real estate industry’s most revered institution and is responsible for some of the most important charters, codes of practice and standards that are used globally.

At present, many of Cluttons Middle East employees are RICS certified, maintaining the high standards the company has grown to expect. The company recently announced 2014 profits before tax had increased by 36 per cent to $16.7 million.-TradeArabia News Service