MEFMA Highlights Value Of Human Capital & Capacity Building In Facility Management
Association organizes event aimed at facilitating discussions covering the importance of investing in human capital
The Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA), the provider of a dedicated platform for facilities management (FM) professionals, recently hosted a networking event with an aim to continue the regional dialogue on the key drivers of market growth and raising it to an advanced level of professionalism. The event, organized by MEFMA’s Strategic Sub-Committee, under the theme ‘Value of Human Capital and Training in Facilities Management,’ brought together several experts from the Middle East’s FM industry, and featured a panel discussion led by Engineer Ali AlSuwaidi, vice president of MEFMA, along with well-known key speakers from the private and public sectors. The event was held on December 08, 2019, at Al Mudheef Ballroom - Sheraton Beach Resort & Spa, Sharjah.
Eng. Sheikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of SPSA, said, "Our presence at this year's forum demonstrates our key concern for the safety and security of people--allowing them to live in a safe and risk-free society. To help us achieve this, we have met with leading experts in the field of safety and prevention to talk about the latest strategies in global safety, present important white papers about prevention, promote rapid response to events and create proactive plans aimed at ensuring the safety of life and property across all facilities in the emirate."
Jamal Lootah, President of MEFMA, said: “Capacity building is essential in the Facility Management sector, as it helps build expertise in external and internal communication, project management, quality of work, operations and maintenance, technology, and other core proficiencies of the business. Therefore, investing in human capital and continuous improvement of their skills are extremely necessary to keep them abreast of all new technologies and ongoing research that are shaping the industry’s future.”
Ali Suwaidi, Vice President of MEFMA, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority (SPSA) for this networking event. This joint initiative is aimed at highlighting the value of human capital in facility management and related challenges, in order to create a clear agenda that helps enhance the sector. However, the shortage of expertise in building, managing and ensuring safety regulations remains one of FM sector’s main challenges. Needless to say, capacity building is the key to addressing this challenge and ensuring the career path of FM practitioners. This will also contribute to the overall development of the sector.”
The event began with a welcome speech by a MEFMA representative, followed by a video presentation about Ahla Jaw, the event’s sponsor. Afterwards, Eng. Abdalla Almajedi, Prevention and Safety Engineer at Sharjah Prevention & Safety Authority (SPSA), delivered a presentation on “Aman” initiative, which operates 24/7 and gives early alerts in case of fire. Also, Eng. Al Majidi presented “Salama” initiative, ", Which is concerned with the training and qualifications of technical personnel on processes and practices in the field of occupational health and safety. The final presentation was delivered by Vincent Montanet, representative of MEFMA’s Sub-Committee and Chief Business Development Officer of ENGIE Cofely, who shed light on the value of human capital in FM by elaborating on the importance of investing in their capacities.
Furthermore, a panel discussion moderated by Engineer Ali AlSuwaidi, featured three key speakers, who discussed the ‘Value of Human Capital and & Training Facilities Management’ from their own points of view, and with respect to their domain of expertise. The panelists included Eng. Abdalla Almajedi, Prevention and Safety Engineer at Sharjah Prevention & Safety Authority (SPSA); Andrea Yoko, Head of Soft Services at Ejadah; Mohammad Asim Khan, the Soft Services Manager of SANED.
Salama Training Institute and Aman System, the two new initiatives launched by Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority; and Ahla Jaw were the networking event’s main sponsors.
