Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The leading provider of holistic and 360-degree technology solutions in the building industry, Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies announced its strategic partnership with UL Solutions, a global leader in safety science. As part of the collaboration, Al-Futtaim will become an official UL Solutions SPIRE-qualified assessment firm and plans on leveraging SPIRE to achieve broader outcomes to help bolster sustainability, security, quality, risk management, and regulatory compliance, thereby contributing to the advancement of the local economy.

The partnership brings together the expertise and capabilities of Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies and UL Solutions, fostering a commitment to innovation, economic growth, and community well-being. This collaboration is anticipated to unlock numerous opportunities that will not only benefit the organisations involved but also contribute to a brighter future for the nation.

The SPIRE Qualification Program offers a pathway for trained third-party qualified assessors to conduct SPIRE Smart Building Assessments and gain insights from UL Solutions smart building experts. The SPIRE Smart BuildingsTM Program is an objective assessment and rating program for smart buildings. The SPIRE Smart Building Assessment™, part of the SPIRE program, is an evaluation for smart buildings that results in an overall UL Verified SPIRE Smart Buildings Rating as well as a road map for recommended performance improvements.

Smarter buildings drive lower emissions, increased operational capacity (doing more with less people), reducing operational risk, provides a better environment for occupants, and furthers the mission of the building.  In the UAE, COP28 will require buildings to improve performance to meet climate goals.  SPIRE helps identify opportunities to achieve these targets.

Murali Serpakkam, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "This partnership provides us with the opportunity to build valuable assets by harnessing robustness and trustworthiness using UL Solutions’ offerings and services. We are enthusiastic about this program and believe that our numerous real estate owners in the region will actively participate and reap the benefits and value of this partnership.”

Razi Hamada, General Manager of Digital Transformation at Al-Futtaim Technologies, added, “We are very proud to announce the signing of our partnership with UL Solutions. We are geared towards achieving COP28 requirements certifications for smart buildings in the region.”

Sudhi Ranjan Sinha, Vice President of Ecosystems and New Service Development at UL Solutions, highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “We are proud to announce UL Solutions’ partnership with Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, extending our global presence to the UAE. Together, we aim to streamline infrastructure projects, aligning them with energy efficiency and sustainability, and strengthening cybersecurity and connectivity standards to pull the future forward.”

Ryan Piaskowski, Global Business Leader of Smart Building Ecosystems at UL Solutions expressed excitement about the collaboration, saying, “We are extremely excited about our partnership with Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, bringing our program into the UAE to help drive and develop the buildings in the region to a state of better performance in terms of energy, safety, sustainability, connectivity, and cyber.”

Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, one of the region’s leading system integrators, does more than simply invest in tomorrow’s business solutions. It helps them grow, perform, and succeed by bringing together the right experience, infrastructure, and opportunities to turn great ideas into business value.

With over 45 years of operations and a proven track record in the UAE, KSA, Egypt, and Qatar, Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies is the premium choice for holistic engineering and technology solutions in the market. The trusted industry leader provides superior reliable products and services such as MEP, Facilities Management, Scaffolding and Access Solutions, Elevators and Escalators, Control and Life Safety, Building Products, Energy Management, Digital Transformation and Technology Infrastructure to the building industry. Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies targets businesses looking to advance and elevate customer and business partners’ reputations with quality, reliability, and on-time work. 

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About Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies

Al-Futtaim Engineering & Technologies, part of Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate, offers customers quality holistic engineering and technology solutions focused around their business.

Established over 45 years ago, the Engineering arm operates in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. The company provides a wide variety of premium products and services to its partners from MEP, Facilities Management, Scaffolding and Access Solutions, Elevators and Escalators, Control and Life Safety, Building Products, Energy Management, Digital Transformation and Technology Infrastructure in the building and construction industry.

In the UAE, the company continues to successfully represent strong international brands for building products including TOTO, Waterwalker, Airedale, KRANTZ and LG. The company is also the sole agent for well-known elevator and escalators brands like Hitachi, and BLT and in the Saudi Arabia and Qatar branches, the company works with trusted brands such as Toshiba.

The Technologies division provides complete business solutions to large, medium, and small customers that include networking solutions, IP telephony, infrastructure, contact center solutions, business applications, ELV systems, professional audio-visual solutions and managed services.

These solutions are further complemented by services that include project management, installation, testing, commissioning, and after-sales maintenance contracts. Its partners include best-in-class vendors such as Panasonic, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise and Microsoft Business Solutions amongst others and currently operates in the UAE and has branch offices across Pakistan. For more information visit: https://afet.com/

About Al-Futtaim Group

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health; employing more than 33,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands.

Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enable the organisation to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers every day. For more information, visit: www.alfuttaim.com

For further information, please contact:

Shifa Al Usman | Impact Porter Novelli | s.alusman@ipn.ae