Sustainability - Fatima Balfaqeeh

Fatima is driving her company towards sustainability to make a true positive change.

She practices progress, not perfection. Rather than risk failure or burnout from an all-or-nothing approach, she leads the way to amend daily work habits and create a more green professional and personal environment.

“It must be embedded in everything we do and how we operate as organizations,” she says. “Otherwise the will to support sustainability is just on surface level. It lacks meaning. For long-term results, the changes have to come from within and be implemented with full transparency.”

Fatima is a signatory on the UN Global Compact. She is currently on the MENA advisory of the Green Arbitration Pledge and advocating for greener practices in Arbitration.

She has extensive experience as a Facilities Management Quantity Surveyor, and promotes the idea that the future of Facilities Management lies in managing assets by repurposing existing structures rather than constant re-building.

Within her own business and personal lifestyle, Fatima’s approach to sustainability generates a circular economy rather basic green initiative. For example, repurposing all paper, ensuring it gets full use before recycling. She firmly believes in procurement for organizations in a greener manner, such as mandating less packaging from suppliers and working only with partners who share similar core values and sustainability goals. Her expertise is available to help organizations take action and identify the changes that need to be put into place to ensure a more sustainable status.