Latest news with #facilitiesmanagement
CBC
11-07-2025
- CBC
Dartmouth man charged with sexual assault, extortion, threats
Social Sharing Police have charged a Dartmouth man with sexual assault, extortion and uttering threats. Jason Bernard James, 51, was charged last month in connection with incidents that allegedly occurred between Dec. 31, 2023, and June 4, 2025. He was released on conditions not to communicate with the complainant or be within 100 metres of the complainant's home or workplace. The complainant's identity is protected by a publication ban. Another condition prohibits James from possessing firearms or prohibited or restricted weapons. Nova Scotia Health has confirmed that James is an employee but would not say whether he is actively working or on paid or unpaid leave. A page on the networking site LinkedIn says James is the director of facilities management and support. "We are co-operating with the police investigation and will not make further comments," Nova Scotia Health said in a statement to CBC News. James is scheduled to appear in court later this month.
Khaleej Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Crystal Facilities Management announces expansion Into Saudi Arabia
Crystal Facilities Management has announced significant progress in its expansion across Saudi Arabia, bringing together the renowned service quality of its UK-based operations with deep local market expertise. Founded in the UK in 2007, Crystal Facilities Management has grown into a trusted name under the leadership of CEO Yasir Zahoor. Now overseeing operations in the Kingdom, Zahoor ensures that the company meets the unique environmental and regulatory standards of Saudi Arabia. "As a total facilities service provider, we strive hard to offer scalable and powerful solutions for your business," shared CEO Yasir Zahoor. "Working within different industries over the years has helped us understand and deliver a true value solution for our customers. For all their needs, our robust and hard-working teams aim to deliver projects within short timeframes. We will help your company attain its objectives." Crystal Facilities Management in Saudi Arabia offers a comprehensive suite of services, including both soft and hard facilities management, along with specialist and contracting work. Their soft FM services include cleaning, security, pest control, and waste management. On the hard FM side, the company supports clients with HVAC maintenance, fire safety systems, plumbing, and civil engineering. Additionally, their expert consultants assist with strategic planning, asset management, and sustainability-driven facilities management solutions. In line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Crystal Facilities Management is committed to supporting the Kingdom's economic, social, and cultural diversification. The company also aligns with the national Saudization initiative by actively recruiting and developing local talent. Through its eco-friendly service models, Crystal is helping create jobs that support sustainability, promote long-term efficiency, and reduce environmental impact. "With over 15 years of experience providing Soft FM services in the UK, Crystal Facilities Management is excited to expand our services to Saudi Arabia," Zahoor stated. "Our expertise in Soft and Hard FM services uniquely positions us to provide facilities management solutions to meet the needs of our clients. We are pleased to offer a wide range of comprehensive services tailored to meet the needs of our clients in KSA." Crystal Facilities Management delivers tailored solutions to suit the unique needs of any space — be it a single building or multiple sites. From large-scale projects in regions such as NEOM to maintaining high standards in sacred cities like Mecca and Medina, the company serves clients across the country. With a drive to deliver results, the team provides integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services across diverse sectors and regional demands.
Zawya
09-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Emrill sees increase in residential occupancy across its managed leased communities with some reaching over 98%
Emrill, a leading UAE-based total facilities management provider, has reported a significant increase in residential occupancy across its managed vertical leased communities, highlighting the effectiveness of its integrated service model and ongoing commitment to enhancing the quality of living environments. Between 2022 and April 2025, multiple residential communities supported by Emrill's facilities management services achieved occupancy increases of up to 29 per cent, with some reaching a 98 per cent occupancy rate. These gains reflect the value of Emrill's structured outcomes-led approach to facilities management and the impact of its continued investment in service innovation. During the same period, Emrill expanded its residential portfolio from 157 communities in 2023 to 254 by 2025, marking an increase of over 62 per cent. This growth has been supported by the delivery of comprehensive facilities management solutions, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, cleaning, lifeguarding, manned security and specialist services. Emrill has also operated in a managing agent capacity across key contracts, further strengthening integration and service accountability. Stuart Harrison, CEO at Emrill, said: 'The increase in occupancy across our managed communities demonstrates how high-quality facilities management services can directly contribute to better residential outcomes. Our teams have remained focused on creating clean, safe and well-maintained environments where residents feel supported and secure. Service delivery has been enhanced through a series of digital innovations. Emrill implemented live productivity dashboards across residential portfolios, providing site teams with real-time performance visibility. Preventive maintenance processes were digitised, replacing manual trackers with automated systems aligned to contractual key performance indicators and service-level agreements. These improvements have been driven by Techsphere, Emrill's integrated digital platform designed to enhance facilities management processes, enabling data-led decision-making, remote asset monitoring and predictive maintenance across multiple portfolios. In one development, Emrill successfully transitioned to a new service framework, achieving emergency response times of 10 to 20 minutes, with incidents resolved or contained within three hours. Urgent and routine requests were also completed within agreed timeframes. Customer satisfaction has also improved significantly. Over a three-year period, Emrill achieved consistent year-on-year increases in satisfaction scores. In 2025, 97.7 per cent of residents across selected communities reported being extremely satisfied with facilities management services. These results highlight the impact of aligning operational performance with proactive resident engagement and continuous service improvement. Harrison added: 'Our teams on the ground understand the importance of creating great places to live. By investing in training, technology and people-first delivery, we've been able to support developers and owners' associations in establishing communities where occupancy remains consistently high. These results are not coincidental. They are the product of data, discipline and a shared commitment to service excellence.' Emrill remains focused on delivering measurable outcomes across its residential portfolio, supporting clients in achieving sustained high occupancy through responsive service delivery and digital integration. For more information, please contact Kimberley Bostock at IHC: kimberley@ About Emrill Emrill Services LLC is a multi-award-winning integrated facilities management provider in the UAE, providing a full range of hard and soft FM and manned security services with innovative solutions tailored to support its clients, including cutting-edge energy solutions and real-time performance management systems. Emrill commands an exceptionally high level of client retention and has enjoyed continuous growth since its formation. As an industry leader, Emrill helps transform built environments to enrich, shape environments, and create great places to live, work, and visit while achieving their commercial goals by providing a range of highly effective FM solutions. Sectors serviced include residential, commercial, industrial and master communities, as well as industries as diverse as aviation, logistics, healthcare, retail, hospitality, education and leisure. Emrill's mission is to empower excellence, pioneer sustainability, and innovate facilities and environments for a better tomorrow by providing quality services, ensuring safety, and building trusted relationships based upon mutual values. Emrill strives for excellence through embracing innovation and empowering its people to be their best through a strong commitment to education and development and employee welfare. Emrill has been recognised for its learning and development achievements, being named the winner of the BICSc award for Excellence in Training (International). Emrill also gained CPD certification in 2021, renewing its membership for a fifth year in 2025 and launching 40 CPD-certified courses. Emrill was awarded the first ESG Label issued by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. This prestigious accolade signifies Emrill's commitment to sustainability and excellence in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. Operating to the highest international standards, Emrill is ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 41001:2018, NICEIC and BICSc accredited. Clients are fully supported through modern IT infrastructure, dedicated client managers and a 24-hour call centre, and benefit from the newest technology, industry-leading techniques and latest equipment releases consistently delivered through Emrill's ongoing Innovation and Future Ready Programme. To learn more, please visit
The National
06-07-2025
- Business
- The National
My Own Home: French entrepreneur buys one-bedroom Business Bay property Dh200,000 below market value
My Own Home takes you inside a reader-owned property to ask how much they paid, why they decided to buy and what they have done with it since moving in Laurie Fersing, a French entrepreneur who has her own facilities management company, has lived most of her life abroad, from Barcelona to Bahrain through London, New York and Paris. But it's Dubai she's been investing her money in when it comes to buying property. The serial investor has multiple homes, including the Business Bay apartment she's settled into. She arrived in the UAE in February 2020, a month before the Covid-19 lockdowns, and it was only a few weeks after that she made her first investment in the area – a one-bedroom apartment she sold after 18 months. With the profit, she decided to buy her current property, another one-bedroom, in Churchill Towers, and she'll only consider moving when her 'dream home' – an apartment she bought off-plan – is handed over in 2026. The National takes a look around. Please tell us about your home It's a one-bedroom and I have 986 square feet. There's one bathroom, one big kitchen, one very big living room and the balcony, which is a good dimension. I'm living in Churchill Towers, Business Bay. It's very well maintained, because it's a premium tower, and I'm quite happy here because it's well located. Why did you decide to buy this home? I decided I wanted to buy an apartment for myself. I had a deadline. I wanted to buy before the end of 2023 and that was my goal. And in mid-December, I had just a few days left before we were in 2024 and I needed to reach my goal. So, I said, this weekend, I'm going to visit one million apartments if I need to. On Friday morning, I was looking at all the properties advertised that matched my criteria in terms of price, location and view. I organised like the military for my visits on Saturday and Sunday. I had one visit at 8am, 8.15, 8.30, 8.40. This one was the first one I visited. The first one on Saturday morning, when I entered, I left, and I was like, OK, I'm 99.9 per cent sure I will make an offer, but let's see. I still saw the rest, as they were all in Business Bay and it was easy to go from point to point. Then on Sunday evening, I gave the deposit for this unit. I was lucky to have the down payment and, for me, there is no point in giving money to a landlord and to be dependent on the price, which increases. Now, not only am I saving on my rent every month, but I can improve my apartment and sell it with a higher price later on. So it makes sense to invest wherever we can. I really have this mindset. How much did you buy it for? I bought it for a bit less than Dh1.1 million, which was Dh200,000 below market price, as it was a distress deal. Now I've also done some renovations, the value would be about Dh1.5 million. What renovations have you done? Not too much, because the apartment was in very good condition. It's from a good developer, in a good tower and the material is very high quality, nothing was damaged. It was just about modernising it; changing the colours, making it more white. I changed the countertops in the kitchen and I did the same in the bathroom. I also did all my bedroom, so I have a bed that's a bit like hotel style. Why did you choose Business Bay? I was commuting for my work in Business Bay from JLT, which during the pandemic was fine, but then after Covid the traffic became insane, so it was no longer viable. I moved to Business Bay and, initially, I was renting something, just to check the area and see if I felt like it suited my lifestyle. It's the perfect place to be because I'm close to my work, and I'm close to everything when I go out. I'm always going out in Business Bay and Downtown. Even though there is a bit of traffic, it's still far less than when I was in JLT or JVC. Why did you choose this building? Whenever I want to buy something, because I have some knowledge on the market, and it's not my first investment – I was also investing before in my own country – I have a checklist of things that I really want. I don't buy if all my checklist is not ticked. I even have a piece of paper in front of me when I look around the property. I wanted to have a nice building with a nice reception, with a very nice entrance. I wanted it with security and to be clean and modern. I wanted to have an elevated floor. I wanted to have a building with potential for renovation, because I was thinking to make some capital appreciation. I also wanted to have a very nice view. And honestly, I'm super lucky. The view is insane. From my bedroom, I can see the canal. From the swimming pool, I can see the Burj Khalifa. I wanted to have something shiny. You know, when you enter the place, it's bright, the sun is coming in. And I wanted a balcony as well. What facilities do you have? There is a nice gym, which they just renovated. There is a pool, which is also under renovation. There's a kids' area, a sports court – I'm not sure which as I never go – and there is a supermarket downstairs. I'm literally near Dubai Canal, so I can go running around the canal. How would you describe your interior design style? All white and brown, with rattan. I have a bit of rattan everywhere. I still have furniture to change, it's on my to do list. I like natural materials, neutral colours. How long do you plan to stay in this property? I'm waiting for the new building to be handed over with the apartment I bought off-plan. I don't know what I will do, so I will have to check which one is better for me at the time. For sure, I will keep them both and I will rent the one that I'm not using. I'm still also planning to buy more properties, too.
Zawya
09-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Farnek achieves new business growth worth over AED 10 million in UAE hospitality sector
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek has witnessed significant new business acquisitions from the UAE's hospitality sector, valued at over AED 10 million so far during 2025. To service these contracts, 330 additional members of staff have been mobilised to sites across the UAE, bringing their total headcount now to over 10,000. The services to be provided include housekeeping staff, room attendants, public area attendants, technical staff, and stewards, who are all fully qualified and have been highly trained at Farnek's dedicated in-house training facility prior to deployment. According to Tamer Bishay, Director of Business Development at Farnek, the volume of contract wins underscores Farnek's strategic approach to business development, which is renowned for its innovative smart solutions, sustainability and value-driven FM market proposition. 'This is an exceptional performance, given we are not even halfway through the year. We have focused our efforts on the UAE's hospitality sector, given its rapid expansion and the integral role it plays in the UAE's economy. We have managed to increase our market share in this vertical sector considerably over the past months, and this bodes well for the second half of the year. 'Although the UAE hospitality sector is expanding at pace, competition is intense and hotels, residences, resorts and restaurants are always looking at ways to make their operations more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective without compromising on quality. Our fully trained, experienced and qualified staff can fulfil a variety of roles within the hospitality sector seamlessly.' Overall, Farnek has signed multiple new contracts with premier hospitality brands, including Kempinski, Sofitel, JW Marriott, Millennium, Emaar, Grand Hyatt, and Atlantis Dubai. This new business growth follows an outstanding year in 2024 when Farnek secured new and retained hospitality contracts valued at AED 72 million mobilising 450 staff. Farnek is a familiar service provider to most hospitality professionals in the UAE. Besides operational support, it is the preferred partner for Green Globe Certification, a premier worldwide sustainability certification developed especially for the travel and tourism industry. Farnek audits and assesses properties which have to comply with or exceed more than 380 rigorous sustainability indicators. Farnek has certified over 100 hotels and leisure facilities in 38 cities across the MENA region, enabling members to save in excess of 180 million kWh of energy, worth over $20 million and more than two million cubic metres of water valued at approximately $5 million. In addition, just last year, HITEK AI, Farnek's sister company, launched its Housekeeping Plus solution, a smart mobile application which provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for the hospitality sector. The app, designed specifically for hotels and resorts, streamlines housekeeping operations and automates workflow. For more information, log on to About Farnek: Farnek is the leading provider of sustainable and technology-driven Facilities Management in the United Arab Emirates. Established in the UAE since 1980, Farnek Services LLC is a Swiss-owned independent total facilities management company. With a skilled workforce of more than 10,000 employees, Farnek delivers professional Facilities Management and security services across several sectors; Aviation, Hospitality, Banking, Retail, Shopping Malls, Telecom, Residential, Commercial, Infrastructure, Government, Education, Leisure and Entertainment. For media information, please contact: STEVEN JONES Managing Director E-mail: Indigo Icon Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers PO Box 337521 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates Website: A member of the ECCO Communications Network
