Saudi Arabia’s facilities management sector is moving into a more strategic role as large-scale projects transition from delivery to daily operation. Arch. Mohammed K. Alduraibi, Board Member of MEFMA, argues that facilities teams are no longer confined to maintenance and support. He positions FM as a discipline that protects asset life, raises service standards and helps align built assets with Saudi Vision 2030. “Facilities management plays a central role in enabling Vision 2030,” Alduraibi says, adding that the priority has shifted from construction output to assets that can “operate efficiently and sustainably over the long term”.

Alduraibi links that shift to the next operating phase of Saudi real estate. Residential districts, commercial towers, transport hubs and public assets need stronger lifecycle planning once handover approaches. User experience sits high on that list. Asset uptime sits beside it. Alduraibi says FM supports quality of life by improving how people use buildings and public spaces while also keeping government and private sector assets performing at a high standard across their full operating life.

Operations phase changes the FM brief

Alduraibi wants FM treated as part of the asset strategy rather than a back-office cost line. “When FM is approached only from a cost perspective, its impact is limited,” he says. That point carries financial weight for landlords, developers and operators facing tighter expectations on uptime, energy use and lifecycle cost control.

Energy management stands out in his argument. Lower utility consumption reduces operating expenditure. Better energy discipline also lifts asset performance. Technical capability matters just as much. Alduraibi says well-trained teams preserve long-term asset value because they maintain systems correctly, reduce avoidable wear and cut operational risk before faults turn into service failures.

Saudi portfolios are getting larger and more complex. Alduraibi sees FM creating value when it is integrated early, measured properly and tied to outcomes that owners can track. His focus stays practical. Reduce operating waste. Extend asset life. Keep building systems stable. Raise utilisation rates. That approach shifts FM from a reactive service line into a core operating function.

Lifecycle planning starts before handover

Alduraibi says a stronger FM starts before a building opens. “Facilities management should be involved from the very beginning of a project,” he says. Design decisions, material choices and access for maintenance determine how easily an asset can be operated years later. Late-stage FM involvement usually leaves operators managing inherited inefficiencies that could have been designed out earlier.

Smart city and giga project planning adds another layer. Alduraibi points to digital twins, automated monitoring systems and consistent operational data as the tools that will define stronger assets over time. Those systems give operators live visibility across equipment performance, inspection cycles and service demand. They also cut manual interventions and sharpen response times.

Data quality matters more than data volume in his view. Reliable operating data lets FM teams make faster calls on maintenance timing, resource deployment and energy use. Alduraibi describes lifecycle thinking as a continuous line from planning to execution to daily operation. That continuity matters across Saudi projects where asset scale, public usage and service intensity are all rising.

Standards, skills and governance shape the next cycle

Sustainability is already embedded in that operating brief. “Sustainability and ESG are no longer optional considerations,” Alduraibi says. He argues that FM teams need clear standards, guidelines and certifications so clients, contractors, designers and operators are working to the same operating requirements. Training is critical. Alduraibi says ESG goals become practical only when frontline teams understand how daily maintenance, energy decisions and service routines affect wider carbon and efficiency targets.

Saudi talent development is another priority. Alduraibi says localisation needs a structured long-term push that starts in colleges and universities, where FM should be presented as a credible career path. He also calls for stronger career progression, competitive pay and wider exposure across technical operations, management, data analysis and emerging technologies. MEFMA’s training centre and certification programmes sit inside that effort, alongside broader market initiatives that are helping formalise standards and governance across the Kingdom.

Alduraibi’s outlook for the next decade is direct. Strong portfolios will rely on AI, real-time data and integrated FM systems that can hold performance steady across changing market conditions. Governance will matter. Operational discipline will matter more. “Success will depend on how well organisations can optimise the full lifecycle of their assets,” he says. Saudi real estate is entering that phase. FM will shape how well it performs.