Imdaad, the UAE’S one and only fully-integrated Facilities Management (FM) provider, was founded in 2007 by industry visionary and Group CEO Jamal Abdulla Lootah. From hard and soft FM to home maintenance, municipal and commercial waste management and so much more, the group has stayed abreast of the competition through an unwavering dedication to R&D, industry innovation, and above all a genuine interest in delivering the very best to its diverse clientele.
When asked about the company’s auspicious beginnings 15 years later, Lootah says: “Some people might recall that in late 2007, the Burj Khalifa surpassed Toronto’s CN Tower, which had until then been the world’s tallest freestanding structure. This occurred two years before the Burj even reached its final height. Everything here in Dubai was on the up and up, and Imdaad was founded to meet the many needs of a thriving real estate industry that has continued to prosper despite all odds.”
Since then, Imdaad has continued to rise to the occasion and meet every market challenge head-on. The key to their success? A forward-thinking mindset that has seen them become some of the earliest industry champions of automation and sustainability technologies.
Technologically-driven
Chief amongst Imdaad’s range of pioneering data-driven solutions is the Ignite Shield. This innovative water quality monitoring solution quickly and efficiently monitors swimming pool conditions in real-time through a cloud platform and mobile app. Rolled out in 2021, it has already won Imdaad widespread industry acclaim.
Imdaad was also one of the first in the region to implement the fleet management programme SAHAL. This has transformed a paper-based, human-dependent operation into a more efficient process-based model, while also contributing to the group’s sustainability drive by reducing the use of printed invoices and transferring record-keeping to a digital format.
Furthermore, Imdad has adopted the groundbreaking EFFY app to coordinate its extensive operations with banking clients. This 360° smartphone-based solution offers accurate real-time tracking and digitisation of operational data in the field, enabling the company to allocate resources more efficiently and oversee the integrity of more than 4.2 million sq ft of facilities.
Another notable digitalisation effort is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) module field cloud system, built on Oracle Fusion technology. This state-of-the-art digital solution is updated in real-time to streamline operations through efficient resource allocation.
Effectively automating a task that previously required considerable man-hours, Lootah says that the solution also allows Imdaad’s FM personnel to grow and specialise alongside the technologies they help install, monitor and service.
“We create new tools, and then these same tools open up new avenues for growth. It is my belief that our staff, especially those who are adopting new technologies in their day-to-day roles, benefit tremendously from these advancements. Increased automation at Imdaad does not aim to phase out the human workforce, but to empower them.”
Imdaad’s future readiness also allowed the group to successfully maintain its momentum all throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with an impressive annual business growth rate of over 10 percent. Imdaad currently fulfils more than 3,500 contracts with key government, federal, and local institutions along with some of the UAE’s most prestigious private sector entities. Imdaad’s customer retention rate of 97 percent, one of the highest in the industry, is a testament to the unparalleled trust they’ve earned over less than two decades.
In addition to its impressive digitalisation efforts, Imdaad’s track record has been marked by a dedication to sustainability and environmental awareness. The group has aligned itself with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative to reduce carbon emissions through a comprehensive sustainability approach.
From outreach and professional development programmes to energy-saving initiatives and the use of eco-friendly chemicals and equipment, the group has adopted a truly multifaceted approach that it hopes will become an industry norm in the next few years.
Imdaad’s state-of-the-art Material Recovery Facility, FARZ, constitutes one of the company’s most significant sustainability efforts. Its fully-automated sorting system can process 1,200 tonnes of waste a day, effectively diverting it from landfills.
With all this in mind, what does the future hold for Imdaad? The group is poised to further increase its UAE market share in 2022, which currently stands at about 5 percent of the country’s total FM sector. An exciting Initial Public Offering (IPO) is also in the works, which is expected to take place within the next two to three years.
Regional expansion is next on the group’s to-do list, with plans to introduce their services to markets in Egypt and Saudia Arabia. From Dubai to the UAE to the wider Arab world and beyond, Imdaad is driven by its limitless ambition and a belief in FM as a vital industry that improves the way we all live and work.