Doha, 11 December -A new initiative has been launched in Qatar to promote, educate and empower facilities management experts in the area of sustainable practices. The Facilities Management Interest Group, set up by the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) and the Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA), has been created as a platform for professionals to meet, discuss and share best practices.

The Facilities Management Interest Group was officially launched today at the Intercontinental Doha with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by QGBC and MEFMA. The new group has a clear agenda and will drive change via practical and innovative initiatives that are both affordable and sustainable. The group will also determine whether regulatory changes are needed for the facilities management industry in Qatar.

The group is QGBC and MEFMA's first joint initiative, and marks the start of a commitment to develop outreach activities on sustainability and to promote educational activities to advance the level of their members within the industry and wider community.

QGBC Director Engineer Meshal Al Shamari expressed his enthusiasm at the collaboration with MEFMA. "QGBC's main goal is to raise awareness and understanding of sustainability and green buildings throughout Qatar," he said. "We will achieve this, by establishing close ties with organisations already in the sustainability industry. We are delighted to collaborate with MEFMA in order to maximise the utilisation of our joint resources, expertise and industry networks. Education, training and promotion of sustainable facilities management will form the basis for our future joint programs in Qatar and beyond." 

Mr Ali Al Suwaidi, a member of MEFMA's Board of Directors, also welcomed QGBC and MEFMA's shared commitment. "We are pleased to enter into this agreement with QGBC as it brings us closer to realising a sustainable and greener future for us all," he said.

The group will be co-chaired by Richard Jowsey, Head of Operations at MMG Qatar, and his colleague Gavin Posnett. They are tasked with bringing together professionals from the built environment, including facilities management providers, construction and design specialists, to lobby for sustainable solutions to benefit the future growth of Qatar.

"I am hugely excited about the launch of the Facilities Management Interest Group," said Mr Jowsey. "Facilities management is about delivering exceptional performance within boundaries that the organisation can afford. With guidance from both MEFMA and QGBC, the group aims to introduce change through self-regulation, with the goal of promoting changes to policy and governance."

"As a founding member of MEFMA, the group is something we wholeheartedly support and is a perfect union due to our long-standing association with QGBC. I believe that this group will boost the industry in a positive way. Sustainable facilities management solutions are vital for growth, and we are very excited to be involved in promoting changes to policy that will help drive Qatar's success," he added. 

The Facilities Management Interest Group will also be acting as a focus group for a dedicated research project that QGBC, in partnership with Texas A&M University, is undertaking with the aim of 'developing a standard for high performance buildings in Qatar'.

"Qatar continues to add to the built environment at an amazing pace. And therefore, this only adds to the demand placed on power and water infrastructure along with the existing buildings in Qatar," said John A. Bryant, Ph.D., P.E. from Texas A&M University and the Lead Principal Investigator on the research project sponsored by the Qatar National Research Foundation.

"Questions arose about how buildings actually perform from an energy perspective. Further questions led us to the operations of these buildings and the effect that Facility Managers have on the energy performance on their buildings."

The first phase of the project is the examination of various buildings to determine the gap between actual energy performance and design expectations. Project members will then interview facilities management directors and operators in order to identify their contribution as one component in the total energy performance of buildings.

This event was sponsored by the Maintenance Management Group (MMG) Qatar, a facility management provider operating across the Middle East.

About Qatar Green Building Council
Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is a non-profit, membership-driven organization providing leadership and encouraging collaboration in conducting environmentally sustainable practices for green building design and development in Qatar. QGBC also aims to support the overall health and sustainability of the environment, the people, and economic security in Qatar for generations to come. The council, a member of Qatar Foundation, was formally established in 2009 by a decree signed by H.H. Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser and is helping Qatar on its journey to establish a post-hydrocarbon, knowledge economy and progressive society. Through QGBC, Qatar will join a network of 80 different countries that run active national green building councils under the umbrella of the World Green Building Council.

QGBC's members include, representatives from government, real estate developers, investors, facilities managers, consultants, constructors, manufacturers & suppliers, oil & gas, professional firms, financial services, telecom/technology, academia, NGOs & media.

QGBC is setting up operations from its HQ, organizing awareness events, knowledge seminars, training, forums, and networking sessions with the like-minded. To learn more visit www.qatargbc.org.

About MEFMA:
Initiated by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), MEFMA is a non-profit professional body aimed at unifying the facility management industry in the Middle East. The association conducts research, provides educational programs, and assists corporate and organizational firms in developing sustainable facility management strategies. MEFMA provides a standardised framework for Facility Management professionals, wider construction industry stakeholders and building owners / occupiers across the Middle East. Education, knowledge sharing, thought leadership, legislative governance and face-to-face networking events are all significant components of strategic FM to be promoted, supported and implemented by MEFMA and its members.

About MMG
MMG (Maintenance Management Group) is one of the Middle East's leading and award-winning Facility management providers.  With nearly 15-year experience in the industry, MMG is present in Lebanon, Qatar and Syria.  The company employs over 700 people in technical and managerial staff and manages more than 1,500 subcontracted staff in some 900 sites and locations.  It is certified for ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 18001 (Health and Safety)

MMG and its sister companies offer facility management services such as Operations & Maintenance, Asset Management, Energy Management, Property Management, as well as FM Consulting Services and Audits.  For further information visit www.mmgsal.com.

For more information contact:
Abed Shirzai
abeds@bljworldwide.com
+974 7021 8259

© Press Release 2013