Article from http://www.ameinfo.com/
As GCC states forge ahead with road and bridge infrastructure projects worth $121.3bn, the asset management industry throughout the region is booming.
The latest methodologies and strategies in asset risk management, asset reliability and asset information will be up for debate and discussion this month with the return of the Government Asset Management Congress, the only event of its kind in the Middle East which provides a platform for the sharing of international and regional best practice among asset owners.
The four-day conference, taking place from 12-15 May 2013 at The Address Hotel, Dubai Mall, will feature some of the most respected figureheads in the industry, including Matar Al Mehairi, Senior Manager Asset Management at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Nicholas Wellwood, Advisor Integrated Infrastructure Planning at the Department of Municipal Affairs in Abu Dhabi; and Dr Najib Dandachi, Asset Management Director at TRANSCO.
The congress will impart knowledge to asset owners at federal, state and local government levels, who are keen to develop their asset management techniques and increase their understanding in this area.
Speaking for the first time this year, Konrad Siu, Director at the Office of Infrastructure and Funding Strategy, City of Edmonton in Canada, said, "It is an honour to share the City of Edmonton's infrastructure asset management experience at the conference, as an example of best international practices. I hope that Edmonton's infrastructure asset management journey and the tools and processes developed by the City of Edmonton will help provide perspective and ideas for managing infrastructure in the Middle East."
Delegates at the congress will hear firsthand from leaders of Middle Eastern utilities and transport agencies on why the emerging discipline of asset management is vital to the sustainability of the region's infrastructure.
Keith Paintin, Business Planning and Performance Specialist for TRANSCO, the first oil and gas company in the GCC to achieve PAS 55, a 28-point checklist of good practices in physical asset management, said, "This event provides us with an excellent opportunity to share experiences, thoughts and concerns with other parties going through the same transition and learning curve. I will be raising the profile and benefits of implementing a robust risk management activity and ethos into a company and hope to provide inspiration for the delegates to take back to their organisation and look at how it can be put into practice."
The event will include a series of post-Congress master classes, from 14 to 15 May 2013, where attendees will hear from a selection of international experts about how to implement a corporate risk management framework and how to build an asset-orientated organisation with PAS 55.
Management from Platinum sponsor Halcrow - CH2MHILL will explain the principles of whole life costing for capital and operations investment decision making. David Pocock, International Practice Director for Asset Management will draw on examples from a wide range of sectors, as well as techniques from emerging industry research and development.
Tim Young, Director at Qasr, support sponsor for the event this year, said, "Our master class is developed to be able to support the governments, utilities and industries of the region in improving their asset management capabilities. Last year's class achieved a 97% satisfaction rating from the audience and this year's session will be engaging, challenging and interactive."
Nabil Ghaleb, Projects Interface Management Department Head at GASCO will be sharing his thoughts on leveraging IT to create and maintain accurate assets information across a large and growing asset intensive organisation.
He commented, "GASCO is rapidly growing to be one of the largest gas processing companies in the world. Systems developed by GASCO have been presented and adopted by many GCC oil and gas companies already, and shared with our respective shareholders, like Shell and Total. Offering our insights and research at the congress is a great way to communicate and learn about best practice procedures."
The conference will hear how international peers have successfully driven asset performance gains and savings. "For all delegates there will be something that they can take back to the work place and put into practice and it's a great opportunity to hear about the impressive asset management practices being undertaken in the region," said Joe Bannan, Branch Manager Asset Management Brisbane Infrastructure at Brisbane City Council, Australia.
United Arab Emirates: 2 hours, 33 minutes ago
Article from http://www.ameinfo.com/
