Accurate building asset data serves as the necessary foundation for facilities management before implementing autonomous building operations. Javeria Aijaz, Managing Director of Dubai-headquartered HITEK AI, presented this operational principle at the 9th Property Technology ConFex at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai. The technology division operates under Farnek, a facilities management firm established in the United Arab Emirates in 1980.
The Role of Verified Building Asset Data
During a session titled ‘From Smart FM to Autonomous FM — The Next Evolution of Building Operations’, Aijaz addressed facility operators directly. She stated that operators must verify their physical infrastructure records before deploying connected sensors and algorithmic systems. Machine learning tools require precise baseline information to regulate environments, project maintenance needs, and manage energy consumption efficiently across properties in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“Everyone is racing toward autonomous buildings, but autonomy is only as good as the asset register underneath it. On one estate we surveyed, a technician logged six words about a plant room asset not being operational, which needed to be investigated. Our AI scanned 24 photographs of that same room and found an active alarm on a fire pump controller, a live safety fault nobody had recorded.”
Javeria Aijaz, Managing Director of HITEK AI
Auditing Physical Infrastructure with AI
Aijaz shared another case where discrepancies between records and physical infrastructure created major operational risks. An asset register indicated a single centralised cooling system, whereas the facility actually operated two units. Consequently, any automated system attempting to optimize performance against outdated design intent would manage equipment that did not match the site’s layout.
“Verified asset data isn’t the boring prerequisite to autonomous FM. It is the foundation.”
Javeria Aijaz, Managing Director of HITEK AI
Deployments Across Gulf Commercial Real Estate
HITEK AI develops software suites including CAFMTEK, POWERTEK, SAFETEK, and CarbonTEK to support property operations. These solutions interface with connected IoT devices across aviation, healthcare, hospitality, government, and commercial sectors. Meanwhile, parent company Farnek maintains a workforce of over 12,000 employees handling facilities across multiple regional industries.
Future Operations in Autonomous Facilities
As commercial buildings transition toward automated controls, maintaining updated building asset data remains vital for real estate operators. Algorithmic building management relies on complete physical documentation to prevent unresolved safety issues and inaccurate system configurations. Therefore, digital facility registers will determine the practical success of autonomous building operations in commercial real estate.
