Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek has underscored its security credentials with new contract wins totalling AED 10.6 million during the first half of 2021 in sectors including oil & gas, real estate, tourism and hospitality, construction, and education.

The company has been contracted to mobilise 211 guards to locations across the UAE to provide a full spectrum of security services. New contracts, which vary from one to three years, include Shanghai Electric Group, Al Wahda Investment, two Millenium Hotel locations, The Royal Grammar School Guildford, China Machinery Engineering Corporation and the Al Bateen Community, amongst others.

Farnek will use the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based technologies as part of the company’s security operations. 

Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek, said, “These latest contract wins recognise our security expertise and our understanding of the needs and demands of clients across a variety of sectors. We have adopted a range of new technologies to ensure we remain at the forefront of the industry, which aligns us perfectly with our clients who demand a high level of technical ability when it comes to security services.”

Farnek has invested more than one million dollars into research and development in tech-driven initiatives, including its award-winning multifunctional smartwatch technology. 

Unique to Farnek, the Android watch is programmed, coded and developed in-house and provides attendance and incident reporting, call facilities, geo-fencing, photo and video functions and health monitoring. All watches are connected to the company’s recently launched 24/7 command and control room, located in Farnek Village, the company’s new staff accommodation centre in Jebel Ali. 

The control centre uses 5G and is Wi-Fi 6 enabled, meaning Farnek can take advantage of increased bandwidth, ultra-low latency and enhanced security to connect assets from multiple sites so that they can be centrally monitored, managed and guards can be provided with real-time updates.

Further underscoring Farnek’s growth aspirations in the security sector is the appointment of Ahmed Salah as Head of Security. The Egyptian national brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in the Abu Dhabi security industry for over 15 years, before which he was part of the Egyptian Military Judicial Department.

“Ahmed has a deep understanding of security operations in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE, which will be invaluable in our next phase of growth. He has worked extensively in the diplomatic, government, education and retail sectors which are key areas of development and crucial for our ongoing expansion,” added Oberlin.

Salah will have an instrumental role in training, business development, risk management and will work closely with Farnek’s ICT division to ensure the seamless implementation of the latest security innovation and technology.

“I’ve been particularly impressed by the growth of Farnek’s security operations in the last 12 months. Not only has the company increased the size of its security division by almost 2,000 people, but it has also witnessed a significant increase in new contracts. This provides the perfect platform to develop the business further, an opportunity I relish,” said Salah. 

“We are ideally positioned to utilise the technology and innovation at our disposal and secure our position as market leaders in the security field,” he added.