UAE-based total facilities management (FM) company Farnek, is investing over AED 150mn ($40mn) into a new state-of-the-art staff accommodation centre in Dubai Investments Park.
The new smart centre, which will become home to 8,000 employees, is situated opposite the Expo 2020 site, close to Al Maktoum International Airport-Dubai World Central, the sprawling development branded as Dubai South.
Farnek has already purchased the freehold plot, which cost more than AED 50mn and has appointed multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering firm, Arif & Bintoak to create and build the design at an additional cost of AED 100mn. The company expects to break ground next summer and complete by December 2018, said Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek.
It will be a massive benefit for us to work with the team at Arif & Bintoak, highlighting our capabilities at the design stage, rather than retroactively, typically through benchmarking and auditing, Oberlin said.
Relocating our staff to DIP will also enable us to optimise our operational efficiency, by capitalising on opportunities that the building boom in Dubai South will present to us. This will be especially true in the near term as the Expo 2020 draws closer and the site begins to take shape. Having up to 8,000 technicians just minutes away, will certainly give us a competitive edge.