Dubai Airports has extended its long-term FM partnership with regional facilities services provider Farnek by deploying more than 30 autonomous cleaning robots inside Terminals 1, 2, Concourse D, and Dubai Cargo Village at Al Maktoum International Airport.
The deployment is governed by a five-year agreement to improve operational consistency, resource efficiency and overall service quality across one of the world’s busiest aviation gateways.
As Essa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President – Terminal Operations at Dubai Airports, explains: “The decision was driven by a simple goal – to make our operations smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable.
Cleaning robots help us deliver a consistent level of service across the airport while using resources more efficiently.
It’s part of how we’re applying technology to improve both the guest experience and the working environment for our teams, in line with Dubai Airports’ smart airport strategy and long-term sustainability goals.”
The robots are being rolled out under Farnek’s Hybrid Unit (FHU) model—which the company describes as “transformation in cleaning,” and blend digitally-enabled human cleaning teams with autonomous equipment to deliver full-area coverage.
According to Farnek's marketing literature, each robot is digitally mapped to a specific service zone, to ensure precise, repeatable cleaning patterns and eliminate blind-spots which frequently arise in fully manual cleaning operations.
“The decision was driven by a simple goal – to make our operations smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable…” — Essa Al Shamsi, Dubai Airports
The units operate in parallel with Farnek’s on-site operatives, who focus on high-touch and complex areas while the robots manage large open spaces, corridors and high-traffic concourses.
Supervisors use the CAFMTEK mobile platform to monitor both teams and machines in real time, track task completion, view live performance data and adjust deployment instantly based on footfall, aircraft volumes or changing operational pressures.
This digital-first approach helps to maintain service stability during peak periods and reduces unnecessary labour hours by directing cleaning resources to areas with the highest demand.
