Imdaad, a leading provider of integrated facilities management (FM) solutions in the GCC, is investing millions of Dirhams in a new recycling plant and staff accommodation as it gears up to meet the challenges of the 2020 Dubai Expo.
Headquartered in Jebel Ali, Dubai , the expanding company has an ethos of adding value to the services and products it offers its 2,500 clients and does this by putting the interests of its best asset first - its almost 4,000 employees.
The one-billion Dirham business, which enjoys a year-on-year growth rate of 15 per cent, is expecting its employee numbers to double by 2020 and foresighted management have a strategy in place geared to meet the growing demand for its services.
Jamal Abdulla Lootah, Imdaad’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Some 26 million people are expected to visit the Dubai Expo 2020 and between now and then it is expected the number of new properties requiring services will increase by more than 60 per cent.
“There will be many new development projects going on in Dubai as the emirate prepares for the Expo and I believe the growth in our company will be more than 15 per cent once those projects are completed.”
Open-door policy
Imdaad prides itself on caring for its staff, through providing things like accommodation and catering, and a management open-door policy to all.
Consequently, it is investing 150 million Dirhams in constructing a new four-storey accommodation complex in Jebel Ali capable of housing between 3,000 and 3,500 workers.
The state-of-the-art complex will provide varying accommodation for all grades of staff and includes things like Wi-Fi and internet access as well as club facilities.
“We believe our staff are the most important asset to the company and we are providing a high-quality living environment for them. We have to think about the next five years when we will have accommodation for some 8,000 employees.”
Multi-award winning Imdaad offers a wide range of FM, quality-driven solutions ranging from security and maintenance to environmental solutions and waste management.
It has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and is also in the process of investing a further 100 million Dirhams in establishing a new recycling centre.
Recycling centre
“As a waste management, collection and transportation company we must invest in recycling. We are investing in the latest technology and are aiming to use the raw materials to manufacture for reuse,” said Lootah.
The project is scheduled to start in July and it is anticipated the new recycling centre will be operational in just over a year.
Imdaad has been operating as an independent business entity for the past six years although the company first began in 1986 as a Civil Engineering Division of Ports Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) handling Civil Engineering works, Air-Conditioning and Electrical maintenance.
In 1989, more services were added to its scope of work such as waste management, pest control, sewage services, environment, health and safety.
A joint venture was established in 2002 to provide outsourced facilities management services and in 2007, Imdaad was inaugurated with a mission to provide integrated facilities management solutions.
Iconic customers
Today, it is responsible for looking after some of Dubai’s most iconic landmark buildings including the tallest structure in the world, the Burj Khalifa and the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago created using land reclamation, which hosts the Atlantis Hotel and a range of luxury accommodations.
Imdaad also has contracts with Emaar Properties, a Dubai-based global construction and development company and takes care of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport
“We work with both the public and private sectors,” explained Lootah. “We are responsible for maintaining the Jebel Ali Free Zone which is the largest of its kind in the world and one of the biggest projects we have on our books.”
Imdaad works hard to sustain good and strong relationships with its suppliers organising annual events to which they are invited.
Many of its partners have worked with Imdaad since its inception and some of them are globally recognised such as Siemens, Mitsubishi and Hitachi.
Supportive nature
Lootah said: “We have a strong supply chain and endeavour to sign long-term contracts with them. We also work closely with them and when things get rough like they did in the 2009 Dubai crisis (when Dubai’s six-year construction boom went bust) we tried to support them.”
Providing top quality services and giving clients added value has won Imdaad the solid reputation it has today and the focus on hiring and retaining the right staff has clearly played a major role.
A survey of staff carried out every year currently shows an employee satisfaction rate of 95 per cent, which Lootah is keen to maintain.
“We have more than 25 different nationalities working for us and we spend more than two million Dirhams every year on training. Our policy is that each employee should attend at least five training courses annually.
“We take care of our people and believe teamwork enables us to offer very high standards of service. We have open doors and share the profits by offering a very good bonus.”
Socially responsible
It is not just the staff Imdaad is keen to help nurture and develop, but the company also operates an intensive Corporate Social Responsibility programme which currently accounts for three percent of its annual budget, a figure which is steadily climbing every year.
The focus on environmental issues has permeated its CSR policy and one of the many schemes it runs includes a recycling project in schools to teach both pupils and parents about its importance.
Lootah believes Imdaad is firmly ahead of its competitors not only because of its high standards of services but because it has a close eye on the future.
“We invest to grow the business and we invest in our people. We invest in new technologies, which is where our competitors should be looking.
“There are many big opportunities within the facilities management market in the GCC region and we are in a much better position than most because we take advantage of them and aim to serve and deliver on what we say.”