L to R: Mr. Zaid Alqufaidi, Managing Director, ENOC Retail and Rabie Atieh, CEO, Transguard Group during the signing of the MOU at Transguard’s stand at last week’s Intersec exhibition

Dubai, UAE, 5 June 2023 – Transguard Group has today announced its financial results for the full year ended 31 March 2023: The business solutions provider’s revenue reached AED 2.5 billion, representing growth of 14.5% over the previous year; Transguard also announced a profit of AED 172 million, a 44% increase from FY21/22.

“With the restrictions of Covid-19 firmly behind us, we will continue to grow the business through our unwavering commitment to listen to our clients and curate flexible solutions that fit their ever-changing needs,” states Nick Beer, Chief Financial Officer, Transguard Group.

Highlights of the financial year include the announcement of an expanded Board of Directors, significant investment in sustainability initiatives and multiple welfare activities, as well as an increased presence throughout all seven emirates of the UAE.

Transguard’s full annual report is available for download on its website: www.transguardgroup.com/about-us.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – While the previous year was unprecedented in practically every way imaginable, 2021 has resulted in significant growth and renewal for Transguard Group; the UAE’s premier business solutions provider has revealed that it has secured AED 2 billion in new and renewed contracts for the calendar year; Transguard’s financial year ends on 31^st March 2022.

“No matter what Covid-19 threw at us, Transguard Group maintained an unwavering focus on our core values,” explained Dr. Greg Ward, Managing Director. “Because of this commitment to the well-being of our employees and the needs of our clients, 2021 has been an incredibly successful year of growth and renewal. Our portfolio across the business has grown in depth and scope, and in parallel, the size of our workforce has also increased.”

Earlier this year, Transguard embarked on an aggressive recruitment campaign that has so far seen the business solutions provider grow by 15,000 new employees. What’s more, Transguard embraced its responsibility for the residents and citizens of the UAE and embarked on an extensive vaccination drive that saw nearly 100% of its employees being double vaccinated by July 2021. With its workforce in place and eager to begin supporting the reopening of the UAE, each division of Transguard Group made significant strides in their respective industries:

Dominating significant headlines in 2021 was news of Transguard’s support for Expo 2020 Dubai, which is valued at AED 102 million in contracts and includes the deployment of more than 3,000 employees across 50,000 square metres of event space and 17 pavilions. Responsible for security, facilities management, hospitality, catering, guest experience, event management, logistics and more, the Transguard team has been supporting every aspect of the “World’s Greatest Show” since its opening in October.

Transguard Cash, a stalwart of the industry as well as the oldest business unit of Transguard Group, maintained its dominant market position and celebrated several milestones in 2021, including being named the exclusive partner for the provision of Cash Management Solutions at Expo 2020 Dubai and completing the installation of more than 5,300 Smart Cash Deposit Machines throughout the UAE. With a focus on digitalisation and technology, Transguard Cash continues to support the growth of the country as well as that of the industry. In December, Transguard Cash was also honoured with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards for Business, Business Innovation and Customer Excellence.

As the most established and recognised security provider in the UAE, Transguard Security Services experienced an overall revenue growth of 14% (including contract renewals valued at more than AED 72 million) and a workforce growth of 18% (20% of which is based in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates). Selected to protect an impressive list of the nation’s landmarks and attractions, Transguard’s Security team introduced several new services, including the customised Quick Response Team (QRT) solutions at several key financial institutions; the new offering is an innovative blend of manguarding, mobile patrols, track and trace technology and various communication methods.   

As the largest provider in the country, Transguard’s Facilities Maintenance (FM) division amplified the scope and reach of its already impressive portfolio with key government wins and contract renewals with the UAE’s most beloved and iconic brands. In addition, Transguard’s exemplary customer support efforts for Global Village were recognised and awarded by the ME Cleaning Hygiene & Facilities Awards earlier in the year. Other new contracts of note include the largest vertical farm in the Middle East, a large master community of the UAE’s largest property developer and the soft services contract for Gym Nation. 

As the UAE made major strides in its efforts to return to “business as usual” in 2021, Transguard’s Manpower Services division provided key support every step of the way. From a Hospitality perspective, this included new work with one of the most recognisable resorts on The Palm-Dubai, F&B contracts for Expo 2020 Dubai and a renewal with one of the most popular hotel groups in the emirate. This growth was buoyed by new training for front of house staff, which was tailored specifically for Transguard clients and delivered at our Centre of Excellence. Demand for other manpower services, including warehouse staff and motorcycle drivers (the first contract for which is valued at more than AED 60 million) also sparked new business for Transguard in 2021; this includes the UAE’s largest hypermarket and a multi-national retail franchise operator based in Kuwait.

Workforce Solutions, Transguard’s unique end-to-end staffing solution provider, experienced growth of more than AED 150 million in new contracts, with industry-specific wins and consultancies topping the list of achievements; technology companies and cloud-based kitchens also offered new sectors for growth. Transguard’s Construction Services division provided crucial support for one of the most anticipated new residential properties on The Palm-Dubai, an innovative new transportation channel between Dubai and the nation’s capital and some of the newest data centres in the region.

Transguard’s Aviation division has kept pace with the rapid recovery of the country’s travel industry, winning multiple noteworthy transportation, catering and airport support services contracts and renewing important agreements with one of the UAE’s most significant airlines, travel services providers and airports. Earlier in 2021, Transguard announced the full mobilisation of the Emirates Chauffeur fleet, which includes not only Business Class chauffeur service, but also the airline’s First Class and Multi-Purpose Vehicle chauffeur services. This year also saw Aviation continue to strengthen its relationships in Abu Dhabi; in April Transguard revealed that it had achieved “Diamond Partner” status in the Alwatani programme from Etihad Airways. Most recently, Transguard was awarded first place at the RTA Vendor Awards, which was in recognition for the steady growth of its partnership with the government entity.

Transguard Delivery also enjoyed significant growth in 2021, particularly with high profile logistics aggregators as well as by providing support for premium delivery services. This dynamic division of Transguard also renewed a number of contracts, including that for mishandled baggage delivery, home check-in services and more.

Systems Integration, the technology arm of Transguard Security Services, used 2021 to deepen its relationship with existing clients and grew its portfolio with significant new wins with both international and local businesses. Offering robust, 360-degree solutions with comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contracts, Systems Integration is poised for major growth in the new year.

Following along the lines of technology and innovation, the biggest news out of Transguard’s consumer division, Transguard Living, focuses on its revamped its website, www.transguardliving.com, as well as the launch of a dedicated app for both iOS and Android. Transguard Living customers can now search, book and pay for services using both platforms, as well as chat with the friendly helpdesk team while making enquiries about the business’ fix, clean and move services.

In July 2021, Transguard officially opened a dedicated vehicle workshop that already completes more than 400 jobs each month; what’s more, Transguard is now offering its expertise in Transportation to other companies in Dubai. To support the growth of Transguard’s own employee base, as well as that of its transportation customers, the business solutions provider has also recently expanded its fleet of 15- and 71-seater busses.

Taste of Home, Transguard’s catering division, won significant new contracts in key sectors – including the government (under which they’re feeding an impressive 1,400 staff each day), logistics and educational institutions – as well as renewed multiple significant contracts with existing customers. In response to popular demand, Taste of Home also expanded its product offering to include a variety of new items, including chilled sauces for sale at retail and wholesale outlets.

With such a significant footprint across multiple industries, Transguard is also keenly aware of its impact on the environment and under its CSR programme, the company proactively seeks out and engages in multiple sustainable initiatives. In 2021, Transguard has produced 1,223 MWh of clean energy through a dedicated solar power project, saved 3 million kWh across its own property portfolio and another 3.8 million kWh across its client portfolio by recycling more than 205,000 bags of waste. In addition, the business solutions provider saved nearly 22 million gallons of water across its entire property portfolio and recycled 14 million gallons of grey water. For this and its other initiatives, Transguard achieved the Dubai Chamber CSR Advanced Label.

“Our team has actively demonstrated unparalleled dedication during these dynamic times, and their hard work has paid off in so many ways,” concluded Dr. Ward, adding: “I’m proud of where Transguard has been and  where we’re going, and I am very much looking forward to revealing what’s next for us in the new year.”  

AED 1.6 billion in secured contracts, 1.4 million hours of staff training and multiple new services lines are just a few highlights of 2019

With AED 1.6 billion in secured contracts, more than 1 million hours in staff training and earning a number of major awards, 2019 was a year of record-breaking expansion and growth against a landscape of challenging economic circumstances for Transguard Group.

“While this was a terrific year for us, I do not believe it was a coincidence that 2019 was also our self-proclaimed year of the customer,” explained Greg Ward, Managing Director. “While customer centricity has always been at the heart of how we operate, this year we took a closer look at what it means to focus on our customers, which was followed by taking solid steps to ensure that every member of the Transguard team, at every level of the business, understood how to think and act along the lines of customer satisfaction. This has had a ripple effect on not only how we do business, but who we do business with; as our 2019 results show, we’re continuing our upward trajectory.”

Successes in Security
“Our Security division made major in-roads not only with major malls in the UAE, but also with large tourist attractions and with several embassies, including both of the British embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” said Tim Mundell, Chief Security Officer.

Transguard’s security team was also out in force at many of the year’s major events, including the recent Race to Dubai and the Emirates Airlines Rugby 7s, among others. Launched a year ago, Transguard’s Executive Protection division tripled its reach in 2019 and added a number of high net worth individuals, A-list Hollywood celebrities and international fashion designers to its roster of clients. “Our K9 division also experienced impressive growth this year due to new contracts with several major international airlines and freight carriers; this division was also showcased during September’s AVSEC exhibition, which brought international attention to our world-class Explosive Detection Dogs,” Mundell continued.

The completion of Transguard’s state-of-the-art control room was another highlight for the company’s Security division: The technical build of this command centre involved bringing together the world’s most cutting-edge technology, including secure data centres, security information management, digital information display and physical access control systems; each aspect of this technology offers its own blend of cutting-edge innovation, delivery excellence and product quality.

Facilities Management Division Sets the Standard for Service
Property Management, a new service line from Transguard’s Facilities Management division, helped to expand the reach of Transguard Group into new areas, while its consumer division, Transguard Living, doubled its size and expanded its service offering into Abu Dhabi. “A year after expanding into the Northern Emirates with an office in Ras Al Khaimah, Transguard Living has deepened its core offerings with a revitalized approach to its Move service and a new team of highly trained technicians,” said Stephen Beesley, Chief Operations Officer. “We were also gratified to see our new division, Property Management, honoured with its first award – Property Management Company of the Year – which is quite the accomplishment considering that 2019 was the first year of its operation. We look forward to continuing to grow the market in this division in 2020.”

Manpower Grows from Strength to Strength
The Hospitality division of Transguard Group experienced global gains at the end of 2019 with the signing of a framework agreement with a major international hotel chain: “Our experienced Hospitality team is already supporting 60 five-star hotels across the UAE, so we consider our presence within an internationally known hotel brand as further recognition of the high standard of our training and excellent performance record,” said Alex MacDonald, Senior Director – Manpower and Mobilisation. “We’ve experienced 50% growth with hotels this year; to put this in perspective, teams are responsible for cleaning 73,000 kitchens and 5 million hotel rooms, which offers a glimpse at the size of our footprint in the UAE.”

Workforce Solutions, the white collar staffing unit of Transguard Group, launched its Executive Search division in the first half of 2019, and counts several globally renowned companies as clients, including a major cosmetics and skin care label.

Transguard also began an innovative partnership with one of the UAE’s most prominent airline to provide chauffeur services to its Business Class passengers.

Continuing Employee Development
Underscoring its ongoing commitment to nurture its future success from within, Transguard Group announced in June that nearly 90% of its internal promotions during the 2018-2019 financial year were awarded to employees who completed training at the company’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Of the 2,436 employees who were promoted, more than 2,100 completed either job-specific or English-enhancement training at the 38,000 square foot Dubai Investments Park facility.

“Over the course of the last financial year, an impressive 55% of all open positions were filled by internal staff members who were qualified for and promoted into new roles,” explained Catherine Masters, Senior Director – Aviation and Centre of Excellence. “This is particularly exciting because our people are our strength; when we give them opportunities to expand their skills we’re growing the future of the business, and the COE is an integral part of this process.” When it was established in 2017, the COE set a target of completing 1 million training hours by 2020; to date, the COE has far outstripped with goal, and completed more than 1.4 million hours of training by November 2019.

To further underscore the company’s efforts toward employee upskilling, in late 2019 Transguard launched its new Career Development Department, which is specifically dedicated to working with current employees: “Our new Career Development Department was established to give every employee an equal opportunity to have a firm footing on the career ladder,” explained Natalie Divers, Senior Director – Legal and Human Resources. “The process starts with a year of service and a clean HR record; from there, we help guide the employee toward the training and additional skills he or she will need to progress to the next level. We’re also connecting them with other employees who have made similar advances in their own careers, which drives home the message that progression truly is possible within Transguard.”

Welfare Initiatives Gain Momentum
Transguard’s residential facilities received a number of upgrades over the last 12 months, including the addition of three “T-Mart” convenience stores, with three more in the pipeline for 2020. Unlimited in-room wifi has also been implemented in a number of Transguard’s accommodations, including the newly opened Jebel Ali 7: At seven stories tall, this massive residential building is capable of housing 10,000 residents, making it the largest of its kind in Dubai.

This year also marked the launch of Taste of Home, Transguard’s own catering company, which was developed out of the desire to produce quality food at an affordable price for site-based employees. Officially opening at the end of December, Taste of Home is capable of producing 100,000 meals per day out of its kitchens in Dubai Investment Park.

Editor’s note: More information about Jebel Ali 7 and Taste of Home will be released in the coming weeks

Finally, with nearly 3,800 recreational activities taking place in Transguard’s accommodations, including the “TG Olympics” and Transguard Carnival (with the most recent of which welcoming a record 5,000 attendees), keeping our site-based employees happy and engaged at work and at home continued to be a driving force for our CSR team. “You will often hear a Transguard employee say, ‘Work hard, play hard,’ because that’s truly our mentality,” said Lena ter Laare, Director – CSR & Marketing. “At every level of the company we encourage our employees to invest just as much in their leisure time as they do in their working hours because we appreciate the value of balance. This helps foster an incredibly positive environment that also encourages team work and creative thinking.”

A Mindful Approach to the Environment
Efficiencies in Transguard’s approach to energy and water consumption also led to exceptional savings, with the company recording a 14% reduction in year-on-year utility costs. In addition, the installation of more than 1,200 solar panels are expected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by nearly 500 metric tons.

In May 2018, a paperless initiative began in Transguard’s headquarters, including the elimination of paper invoices to clients. To date, the company has saved 1.5 million sheets of paper; this equates to nearly AED 100,000 in savings in ink and paper.

A Year of Accolades
Last, but certainly not least, 2019 was a memorable year for accolades, with Transguard Group receiving a number of impressive national, business and industry-specific awards. These include:

• Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Business Award
• Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Innovation Award
• Dubai Quality Award
• Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award
• Security Company of the Year, Facilities Management Middle East (third consecutive year)
• Arabia CSR
• Property Management Company of the Year, Construction Innovation Awards