A Week in the UAE: Relationships, Recognition and Remarkable Growth

A week in the UAE reminded us just how much business is built on relationships.

One of the real highlights was spending time with people we originally met through our work with DP World. What began as professional connections have, over time, become genuine friendships - and being able to reconnect in person was a lovely reminder that some of the best things to come from our work go far beyond the original project.

Another very special part of the week was the MEFMA Awards of Excellence.

Liz was delighted to be part of the judging panel this year, recognising some of the people, teams and organisations doing outstanding work across facilities management in the Middle East. Being invited onto the stage to present several of the awards made the evening even more memorable.

Awards are always about celebrating achievement, but what really stood out was the ambition behind so much of the work being recognised - innovation, service improvement, people development and a determination to keep raising standards across the profession.

And that sense of ambition was visible throughout our time in the UAE.

The scale and pace of growth and development is extraordinary. New buildings and infrastructure are the most obvious signs, but underneath that is something even more interesting to us: organisations evolving, workplaces changing, expectations rising and increasingly sophisticated conversations about leadership, service partnerships and the experience we create for people.

For Kentish and Co, those conversations are really exciting.

We spend much of our time helping clients and service partners work better together - building trust, changing behaviours and turning contractual relationships into genuine partnerships. The UAE continues to be a fascinating market in which to explore those ideas.

We came home with renewed friendships, new connections, plenty of conversations to continue - and even more enthusiasm about the opportunities ahead.

Thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome.