The organisers of FM Expo, the region’s only dedicated facilities management exhibition,  have announced plans to double the size of the event next year to reflect the rapidly growing importance of the market.

FM Expo was launched in Dubai in June this year and is organised by Streamline Marketing Group and dmg world media Dubai.
Facilities management (FM) in the Gulf is expected to grow to an estimated $892 billion over the next 25 years, according to the Middle East Strategy Advisors (MESA).  The FM market in the UAE alone is potentially worth $704 billion, with the markets in Saudi Arabia and Qatar worth $96 billion and $92 billion respectively, it says.
Facilities management, which advocates an integrated approach to managing the built environment effectively, is still an emerging concept in the Middle East yet experts predict that the industry will eventually outstrip the region’s booming construction business.
Streamline Marketing Group is also setting up an FM Business Group, in response to requests from the FM business community, and will be organising regular networking evenings to allow professionals from the industry to discuss issues affecting their business.
Streamline Marketing Group  project manager Sinéad Bridgett says: “The Middle East is experiencing phenomenal growth in construction, reflected in a plethora of exciting new projects and developments from hotels and resorts to airports, hospitals and massive commercial complexes.
“In turn, this growth is fuelling an insatiable demand for much needed, high-quality facilities management with developers intent on optimising and protecting their investments. As a result the facilities management market from Jeddah to Dubai is set to enter a period of exceptional growth.”
Facilities management is the integrated management of all types of built environments from commercial towers, resorts and hotels to oil refineries and hospitals. FM practitioners oversee the management of a building from its inception, providing a range of services including property strategy, building maintenance and operations, management of space, energy and communications infrastructure.
Experts in the field estimate that in the lifecycle of a building the design and construction phase only accounts for 20 per cent of the overall costs with the remaining 80 per cent being taken up by the operation, maintenance and management of the facilities.
The 2007 edition of FM Expo will be held alongside Hotel Show, Office and InRetail exhibitions at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 3 to 5. The organisers expect the shows to draw more than 12,000 visitors.
Features new for 2007 include a Supplier’s Zone, a dedicated section for companies that supply products and services to FM practitioners, and a demonstration area, where exhibitors can showcase new FM technology. The seminar programme, which was highly successful in 2006, will be returning with a focus on environmental issues, including energy efficiency, ‘green buildings’ and solar power.