Business & Money | Tuesday 29 December, 2015 1:28 pm |

In its efforts to address challenges faced by the labor force in Saudi Arabia, Anan Iskan, the kingdom’s leading and first workers accommodation expert in Saudi Arabia, which provides workers with a wide range of support services aimed at creating internationally approved, safe and healthy conditions, recently launched its Ras Al Khair residential compound designed for seniors and managerial employees.  The compound is a porta-cabin development with a capacity of 656 residential units, with a land area covering 75,000 m2.

 

Ras Al-Khair is a town and port currently under development on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia 60 km north of Jubail. It is also known under its project name of "Minerals Industrial City".  The new city, Ras Al Khair Mineral Industrial City, is planned to exploit the mineral deposits of phosphate and bauxite found within Saudi Arabia.

 

With a standard of 27m2 of personal space, certificated rooms of workers are air-conditioned and adequately ventilated. Workers have access to telecommunications, internet, money transfer and postal facilities. 

 

And because ensuring good standards in living facilities is important, Anan Iskan made sure recreational areas are available including a swimming pool. Workers can also relax using other facilities like multiple open playgrounds, gyms and entertainment lounges.

 

Anan Iskan takes pride in supplying residents with round-the-clock services, seven days a week, such as housekeeping twice a week and laundry as well as grocery stores, pharmacies, first aid response unit and barbershops.

 

For laundry services, the firm uses industrial washing machines and tumble dryers with capacities up to 35 kilograms, as well as pressing and tagging machines and weighing scales. Detergents are used to kill bacteria and remove dirt in the process, which is supervised by trained staff.

 

Anan offers a primary first aid response unit. This includes first aid services, bedding for in-house patients, quarantine for infectious diseases, and an accessible healthcare professional, guaranteeing immediate response to any emergency at any time of the day. Certified by the Ministry of Health, a general practitioner for each camp of workers is on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on call 24 hours seven days a week.

 

Undertaken by well-trained and qualified staff, management of facilities covers standard operating procedures (SOPs), service level agreement (SLAs), key performance index (KPIs), service level monitoring by quality assurance/quality control (QAQC) and performance measurement tool by accommodation management system (AMS). 

 

Security personnel trained by the Interior Ministry under and working under a system directly linked with the General Directorate of Civil Defense are provided for workers’ camps. They are equipped with closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), biometric access control systems, and two-way radios or walkie-talkies.

 

The company follows Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) protocols in its maintenance and cleaning processes, with at least 20 cleaning crews per 1,000 tenants.

 

Anan Iskan also puts special attention to the catering needs and food services it offers workers in all the accommodation it manages. Prepared by certified and experienced cooks from various countries in line with the highest quality and food safety standards, buffets offer a variety of food options for all nationalities three times a day, seven days a week. From beef, poultry and fish, to soups, salads, vegetables, bread and deserts, Anan Iskan is keen on delivering nutritionally adequate meals to workers, ensuring a tight hygiene control and using certified kitchen utensils.

 

“World-class standards for workers’ accommodation have been implemented in all our projects, for both white and blue collar employees" said Anan Iskan CEO Engineer Faisal A. Alsayegh. "We are committed to taking this responsibility off our clients’ shoulders, allowing them to focus on their core business. Anan Iskan is committed to ensuring that its projects create lasting value for employers and workers, which is both a humane and a wise investment."