Benjamin Blackaby, Laszlo Fulop join Savills Saudi Arabia to lead property, facilities management

Real estate advisor Savills Middle East has made two key appointments to lead its property and facilities management functions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Laszlo Fulop joins as Head of Property Management and will oversee the department in Saudi Arabia, ensuring stability and consistency of the service for landlords and tenants. He will deliver value through innovative concepts and implementation of best practices in multiple areas including tenant relationship management, policies and processes, EHS/ESG, cost management, and commercial lease negotiations.

Laszlo brings over 20 years of experience in managing and leasing properties across multiple asset classes as well as providing consultancy services to developers and occupiers. Prior to joining Savills, he was Head of Property Management at Budapest Airport where he oversaw the management of a portfolio of 80 assets across office, retail, and industrial sectors led to over 120 tenants.

Laszlo holds a Master of Science degree in real estate development and management from Heriot-Watt University and is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

Property management is an area of growing focus for Savills operations in Saudi Arabia. The PM team currently handles the Tadawul Tower in KAFD with a total GFA of 130,000 sq m. Savills provides the overall strategy and oversees the performance of the asset on behalf of the client including tenant relationship management, supervision of facilities management agency services, and operation/financial administration. Other assets under management include The Business District in Riyadh and other business and logistics parks around the Kingdom.

Benjamin Blackaby joins the Savills Saudi Arabia business as Head of Facilities Management. He joins from Savills in the United Kingdom where he has spent over six years; most recently he was Operations Director, overseeing all aspects of implementation of the company’s strategy to ensure a smooth and seamless flow of operations. Prior to this, as General Manager, Benjamin steered all aspects of day-to-day operation of The Royal Exchange, encompassing management of service charge budgets and reconciliation while preparing year end packs.

Speaking on his appointment, Benjamin Blackaby, Head of Facilities Management, said, “I am keen to bring the knowledge and experience I have garnered over the years in the Savills business in the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, which is creating some of the most exciting developments of our times. I look forward to making new connections whilst engaging with old ones to help provide relevant and all-encompassing solutions for clients.”

Laszlo Fulop, Head of Property Management, said, “I am delighted to join Savills. The business has a unique advantage with its customer-first approach combined with an in-depth knowledge of property and a global presence, something which puts us much ahead of the competition. I look forward to working with an expanding team and deliver best in class property management to clients, and offer an enhanced experience for occupiers, visitors, tenants and residents.

Ramzi Darwish, Head of Saudi Arabia said, “Savills Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the next stage of growth, and the appointments of Laszlo and Benjamin is testament to our expansion story. Both of them bring a high level of expertise to the business which will be an invaluable asset in further expanding their respective service lines.

“Whilst our main focus has been on commercial assets, we have also built strong relationships across the residential sector with landlords of key compounds and have formed closed connections with top residential developers. The residential sector is key in expanding the breadth of PM and FM services that Savills has to offer.”