EFS wins FM deal for KAEC

EFS Facilities Services, a regional leader in facilities management (FM) services, has been awarded a SR13-million ($3.46 million) integrated facility management contract at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

Under the terms of the agreement, EFS will provide integrated facilities management services across the city, including catering, transportation and value-added services such as the integration of smart technology and computer-aided facility management (CAFM). The contract will run over an initial period of three years.

“The complexity of operating a development on the scale of KAEC demands the very highest levels of specialist expertise across multiple business verticals. We selected EFS as our integrated facilities management service provider based on their wide-ranging industry expertise and their proven track record throughout the region,” said Ayman Mansi, acting CEO of KAEC’s Industrial Valley and senior director of New Business Ventures. 

Arctech Solar in Mideast debut

Arctech Solar, a leading manufacturer of solar tracking and racking systems, said work has started on its 10 MW solar power plant in Khafji and the project is expected to be commissioned by the end of March.

Once completed, this project will not only produce enough electricity to households, but also power seawater desalination plants nearby with clean, renewable solar power, it noted.

This is a new regional breakthrough for Arctech Solar’s trackers after its successful entry into the African market last October, said the company.

$346m spend on education projects

The Saudi government plans to build 31 new technical education institutions in Makkah province at an investment of SR1.3 billion ($346 million) through its Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), said a report.

The TVTC, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education, plans to encourage 32 per cent of high school graduates to join its programmes, reported the Saudi Gazette.

The corporation had opened 45 branches of technical colleges in different regions to provide training to young Saudis in their hometowns.

Work is also in full swing at the second technical college for girls in Jeddah where 83 per cent of the project has already been completed.