IFMA’s Executive Roundtable: Middle East Edition highlighted a region with both the urgency and potential to advance circular facility management at scale. Rapid development, ambitious national visions and increasing alignment with global sustainability commitments create a context in which circular approaches are not only desirable but increasingly necessary to ensure long-term resilience and value.

Across the discussions, facility management emerged as a pivotal function in this transition. Participants consistently positioned FM not merely as an operational discipline, but as a strategic connector capable of linking organizational ambition with practical delivery. By influencing design decisions, procurement strategies, operational practices and performance measurement, FM can help embed circular principles across the entire asset life cycle.

At the same time, the roundtable made clear that circular facility management cannot be advanced by FM alone. Structural barriers — including short-term investment horizons, fragmented supply chains, contractual constraints and uneven regulatory frameworks — continue to shape what is feasible in practice. Addressing these challenges will require coordinated action across organizations, markets and policy environments.

Government leadership was repeatedly identified as a critical enabler. By aligning global commitments such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals with national visions, procurement frameworks and incentive structures, governments and municipalities can create the conditions needed for circular practices to move from isolated initiatives to normalized industry standards. Public sector leadership, particularly through leading by example, has the potential to accelerate market confidence and adoption.

Measurement and communication were also emphasized as foundational to progress. Demonstrating value through credible data, clear KPIs and transparent reporting helps build trust, secure leadership support and enable learning across organizations. When supported by digital tools and effective storytelling, these practices can turn circular FM from an abstract concept into a compelling, scalable proposition.

Ultimately, the Middle East Executive Roundtable underscored that the transition to circular facility management is not a question of whether change will occur, but how deliberately and collaboratively it will be shaped. By building on existing strengths, addressing enabling conditions, and empowering facility management as a catalyst for change, the region can develop future-ready buildings, organizations, and cities that deliver sustained value for business, society and the environment.