FM Market : The health of the FM sector depends on economic trends. During the economic downturn in 2008-09, the market shrank in most developed countries in line with slower business activity, in the years since the crisis until recovery in 2013, some 12 per cent of FM companies left the market, according to UK-based MTW Research. GCC Market Data : In the GCC, accurate market data is hard to come by, but the current market has been estimated at $9 billion (Frost & Sullivan), $15 billion (Imdaad) and $21 billion (Middle East Facility Management Association). However, there is consensus that the FM industry could grow about 20 per cent annually on average in the medium term, driven by a burgeoning property market in Dubai and Qatar, ahead of Expo 2020 and the Fifa World Cup 2022 respectively, and in Saudi Arabia. “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, believes in maintaining the reputation of Dubai as one of the cleanest cities in the world, and providing tourists and expats international hygienic standards across all segments. With the advent of the Expo 2020 in Dubai, we would work to adopt the best practices in the cleaning and hygiene industry and also ensure that our partners in the development are complying with that, & this applies to hospitality sector and the communities developers as well,” – Abdul Majid Saifaie, Director of WMD, DM.