Samer Khalifeh, Executive Director – Kingfield Owners Association Management Services is an established presence in the Dubai real estate landscape. He is the founder of Kingfield and formed the Owners Association Management Services company in 2010 and was also one of the first to obtain the license. He remains at the helm of the company and spearheads the current and future strategies of Kingfield’s vast portfolio.

Samer Khalifeh takes us through the corporate values that make up a strong community management company. He elaborates on the values driving Kingfield. He says, “Eltizam, our parent company, embeds strong corporate values across the Group through its organisational and business enhancement culture program, Get Wonky. All the employees at Kingfield are true team players; from the most junior member of the team to its directors, everyone is empowered and takes responsibility for delivering customer service excellence. One of the four pillars that our corporate culture represents is ‘People Development’ which enables the continuous training and support of employees at all levels to assist with the decision-making process. Kingfield engages in continuous quality audits to identify potential risks to the community and the need for continuous improvement from service providers. The management’s support to the team has created a culture of excellence and pride in deliverables which has resulted in staff retention, with most of my team having worked in Kingfield for 5-10 years. This results in stability of service to clients and retention of case history in each community.”

As the UAE’s real estate landscape has changed over the past decade and the pandemic, so have the strategies to manage vast portfolios. Sustainability has become more than just a box to check off on the list. Samer Khalifeh explains the sustainability strategies driving Kingfield. He says, “Building on sustainability issues to continuously drive down energy & water consumption is one of our key strategies. Kingfield are already well-known for their sustainability initiatives and have a working group to continuously improve performance. We support the initiatives of RERA to develop concepts of Wellness and Happiness, which will add value for property owners by making the property more attractive to tenants and other owners.”

The pandemic ensured that technology became embedded in every facet of the management of the built environment. Samer provides an insight to the platforms used by his team. He says, “Kingfield uses comprehensive and user-friendly community digital applications and platforms by PropEzy across the full portfolio of buildings to facilitate quick, effective and simple solutions for service fee payment, reservation of facilities, registering helpdesk requests, move-in/move-out registrations etc., as well as facilitating communication between residents to foster a greater community feel.” He stresses that improved asset management is a vital component of association management in the region especially as the sector matures given the years of rapid construction. He says, “Kingfield strives to harbour the technologies available in Building Modelling to map concerns and maintenance requirements in the building envelope (facades, sealants, panelling etc.) to accurately identify rectification needs. We monitor digital management systems that have been retrospectively installed, utilise sensor and predictive modelling techniques to allow management teams to control asset use and prolong property lifespans, as well as predict maintenance cycles and minimise the use of energy.”

Samer Khalifeh’s extensive experience has led him to set-up and build strong networks of partners, and vendors that ensures a quality living experience in the assets managed by Kingfield. He explains that Kingfield partners with quality service providers and uses their extensive buying power to negotiate best terms and standards. He adds, “We focus on core areas within communities, such as reception areas, gyms, pools and other leisure facilities to create a 5-star experience, resulting in higher rental and resale values. We are the leaders in risk management and insurance so that residents are secure that risks are avoided and emergencies are professionally handled. Kingfield is a leader in compliance with the regulations of RERA and other authorities. Kingfield relies on vendors to deliver high quality services. We maintain constant dialogue with vendors to build confidence in expectations of service quality and ensure regular communication on payments.”