Ali Albahrani

MBC Group is the largest broadcasting company in the Arab world, with multiple TV channels, streaming services, and production studios operating across the region.
When I joined MBC, there was no formal FM function within Al-Arabiya Channel — no governance structure, no documented workflows, no consolidated vendor relationships. The role was effectively a mandate to build all of that while simultaneously keeping things running. Three departments, multiple sites, and a full security operation to set up alongside it.

What I've been working on:
- Setting up the FM governance structure from scratch — policies, workflows, reporting lines, accountability frameworks. Getting this right early made everything else easier to manage.
- Running the full maintenance program across hard and soft services. Subcontractors are held to clearly define SLAs and KPIs, and HSE.
- Supporting procurement and contract management across all three departments — scoping requirements, running tenders, negotiating terms, and reviewing vendor performance on an ongoing basis.
- Keeping daily administration running smoothly: reception, transport, fleet, mail services, office support.
- Building security operation from the ground up — access control systems, CCTV, guard force management, incident response, and coordination with external authorities.
- Managing renovation and infrastructure projects across multiple sites. I get involved from space planning and design review through contractor handover, making sure projects do not drift on scope, cost, or timeline.
- Acting as the organization’s main point of contact with landlords, property managers, and regulatory bodies — handling compliance requirements and resolving facility issues before they escalate.
- Leading teams across all three departments, setting performance objectives, reviewing KPIs regularly, and trying to build a culture where people take initiative rather than waiting to be told.

Amazon KSA — one of the company's fastest-scaling regional markets, with a strong focus on logistics and fulfilment infrastructure.
Amazon operates at a pace and standard that leaves little room for ambiguity. The expectation is that things run, problems get solved quickly, and reporting to senior leadership is clear and timely. I came into this role as an experienced FM professional and spent two years managing a demanding portfolio while also delivering capital projects and keeping costs under control.

Key responsibilities:
- Day-to-day operations across the full facility portfolio — safety, functionality, and efficiency were non-negotiable, and processes had to evolve constantly to keep pace with growth.
- Vendor and contractor management — maintaining Amazon's quality and compliance standards across all maintenance program and service contracts.
- Capital projects and facility upgrades, managed end-to-end from planning through handover, in close coordination with internal stakeholders.
- Cross-functional collaboration with HR, IT, Security, and Emergency Preparedness — particularly important for maintaining site safety and business continuity.
- Crisis response leadership, coordinating across FM, Security, Legal, and Business Continuity teams when incidents require a fast, organized response.
- Budget forecasting and vendor expenditure oversight, ensuring spending stayed within policy and financial commitments were met.
- Monthly and quarterly reporting to senior leadership covering project status, operational performance, and site transactions — clear and to the point.
- Regular engagement with Amazon's global FM network to share lessons and align regional practices with company-wide standards.

Saudi Aramco — the world's largest oil company, with an infrastructure portfolio of extraordinary scale and complexity.
Seven years at Aramco gave me a thorough grounding in how large organizations manage critical infrastructure — the technical, the documentation standards, the safety culture. I started in a direct engineering role and gradually took on more project leadership and budget responsibility. At one point I was asked to step up as Acting Group Leader for the Electrical & Mechanical Unit, which meant full accountability for the team and the department's project portfolio.

Key responsibilities:
- Building and defending capital budget cases — preparing detailed financial justifications so that project decisions were made on solid ground.
- Managing facility projects end-to-end: scoping, stakeholder consultation, design, procurement, scheduling, and handover. I took full ownership of each lifecycle rather than passing projects between teams.
- Multi-discipline technical reviews of infrastructure and system designs — identifying problems before they became expensive to fix.
- Commissioning and startup of new facility systems, making sure they were properly integrated and genuinely ready for operations before handover.
- Root cause analysis and troubleshooting system failures, working with maintenance teams to implement fixes that stuck.
- Developing and managing facility services contracts — vendor selection, SLA definition, and ongoing performance monitoring.
- Writing SOPs that teams use and directing construction and refurbishment program with a focus on timeline, cost, and safety.
- Ensuring full HSE compliance across all facilities — this was embedded in day-to-day practice, not just checked at audit time.

Key achievements:
★ Served as Project Engineer for the upgrade of the Saudi Aramco CEO's office — a highly visible, closely scrutinized project that required precise execution and zero margin for error.
★ Led the LED lighting replacement program across 70 facilities in the Dhahran area, a meaningful contribution to Aramco's energy efficiency goals.
★ Nominated for the 2017 CEO Excellence Award — one of the most significant recognitions available within the organization — for outstanding project leadership.
★ Led the Energy Management Team and Voltage Conversion program, contributing to strategic infrastructure planning at an enterprise level.

Cooper Industries (later acquired by Eaton) — a global electrical products manufacturer. A commercially focused role that sat at the intersection of engineering and sales.
- Prepared detailed quotations in response to RFQs, including designing cable tray and cable layouts based on project drawings and technical specs.
- Led negotiations on commercial proposals — finding the balance between what the client wanted and what was profitable.
- Served as the technical bridge between clients and Outside Sales Engineers, translating product data into something useful for client conversations.
- Took on responsibility for sample order management and worked with senior management to refine quote calculation methods — improving accuracy and reducing cycle revision.

Schneider Electric — global leader in energy management and industrial automation. This role focused on generating new revenue within the existing client base.

- Identified and developed new business opportunities with clients who had existing Schneider switchgear and protection relay installations — turning existing relationships into active service contracts.
- Delivered technical consultations and tailored proposals covering spare parts, system upgrades, and long-term maintenance agreements.
- Managed the full sales cycle from first contact through to contract closing, with consistent follow-up at every stage.

Worth mentioning:
★ Designed and led a data mapping exercise to catalogue the installed base of electrical equipment across client sites.