Industrial cities in the Kingdom — like the industrial cities affiliated with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities (Modon) — comprise hundreds or thousands of factories and facilities in a single campus. Managing the facilities of these industrial cities is an independent type of service combining the services of large cities with the particularity of the industrial environment.
What Is Meant by Industrial City Facility Management?
Industrial city facility management includes the support services for the shared infrastructure:
- The internal roads and streets: Cleaning, maintenance, and lighting
- The green and shared areas: Maintenance and landscaping
- The service centers: The administration buildings and public facilities
- The entry gates: Maintenance and operation
- Industrial waste management: Collecting and transporting the factories' waste
- The outdoor lighting: Maintaining the lighting poles in the streets
📌 Note: Industrial city facility management deals with the operating authority (Modon or others), not with the individual factories. The services include the shared infrastructure, not the internal factories.
The Operational Services in Industrial Cities
Cleaning the roads and shared areas
- Sweeping the internal streets daily with specialized machines
- Removing refuse from the shared areas
- Cleaning the gates and reception areas
- Cleaning the waiting areas and squares
- Cleaning the administration and service buildings
Infrastructure maintenance
- Maintaining the outdoor lighting and following up the poles
- Maintaining the street roads and addressing potholes
- Maintaining the surface drainage systems
- Maintaining the gates and fences
- Maintaining the internal signage and signs
Industrial waste management
- Providing waste containers of different sizes for the factories
- Collecting ordinary waste from the factories on regular schedules
- Coordinating the transport of hazardous waste with licensed companies
- Managing the central collection areas
The Challenges of Industrial City Facility Management
| Challenge | The solution |
|---|---|
| Very large spaces | Large mechanical equipment + dividing into areas |
| Varied types of waste | Waste classification + specialized partners |
| Heavy truck movement | Cleaning schedules at quiet times |
| Intense industrial dust | Intensifying sweeping + spraying the roads |
| Multiple clients (factories) | Communication with the operating authority only |
The Equipment Needed for Industrial City Facility Management
The large size requires appropriate equipment:
- A large mechanical street sweeper
- A large container-lifting truck
- Equipped mobile maintenance vehicles
- A lift for maintaining the lighting poles
- High-pressure equipment for washing the roads
- Machinery for addressing potholes
The Contracting Model for Industrial City Facility Management
Industrial city contracts have distinctive characteristics:
- A large size that calls for a company with real executive capability
- Requirements to operate heavy machinery and equipment
- Managing multiple providers for special waste
- Periodic reports to the operating authority
- Performance indicators including the cleanliness of the surroundings and factory satisfaction
Conclusion
A clean, orderly industrial city is attractive for investment. Managing its facilities efficiently contributes to improving the business environment and makes the industrial city an attractive operational destination for factories and investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
The shared infrastructure only — the roads, lighting, public areas, and gates. The factories contract independently for their internal operation services.
Hazardous waste is handled by companies licensed by the Authority for Industrial Cities and the Environment Authority. The operation provider coordinates and facilitates the process but doesn't undertake the direct transport of hazardous waste.
The large industrial city needs mechanical equipment and a larger administrative structure. The small area may be managed with a smaller team and simpler tools. Adapting to the size is essential.