IWG, the world’s largest provider of hybrid working solutions with brands including Spaces and Regus, is expanding its network in Pakistan and opening a state-of-the-art 875 sq.mt new location at Marina One, Islamabad in May 2023 in partnership with Bilal Afzal from M/S Construxive; 1500 sq.mt new location at Naveena, Lahore in June 2023 in partnership with Sameer Elahi and 650 sq.mt new location at EOBI F7, Islamabad in July 2023 in partnership with Saad Mehmood.
The new IWG locations are complete with co-working spaces, private offices, meeting rooms and creative spaces as the demand for hybrid working rapidly accelerates. All partners chose the IWG flexible workspace platform and have entered into a management agreement with the IWG brand.
Marina One will be the first HQ-brand location in Pakistan adding 875 sq.mt in Islamabad, and will be IWG’s 3rd centre in the city. Naveena, Lahore will be a Signature brand location, adding a massive 1500 sq.mt in Lahore. The 3rd managed partnership deal in Pakistan will be at EOBI, F7 Islamabad and its opening is expected in the third quarter of 2023. This centre will add 650 sq.mt of much needed inventory as the existing centre has been consistently at full occupancy.
Unprecedented demand from companies of all sizes and workers looking for hybrid working solutions means IWG will add 1,000 new locations over the next year. As per ‘Global Workplace Analytics’ Hybrid working offers companies a significantly lower cost base with an average saving of $11k per employee.
The building owners decided to invest in the IWG platform to maximise the return on their real estate space by capitalising on the rapidly expanding demand for hybrid working. With an annual investment of around £50m into its technology platform, IWG provides partners with access to all the company’s expertise as well as design and fit-out support and sales and marketing capabilities.
All three new locations are in the fastest growing regional areas in Pakistan. Demand for workspaces in the country has performed strongly, with the number of enquiries for space in IWG locations continuing to sharply increase.
These new locations will provide space for established firms and start-ups across a range of industries, while IWG’s ‘Design Your Own Office’ service allows companies to tailor their space entirely to their requirements.
IWG is the world’s leading provider of flexible workspace – with 3,500 locations in more than 120 countries with members able to access all of the locations and business services via the IWG app.
As the ongoing shift towards hybrid working accelerates, conventional office occupancy will continue to fall as businesses require less traditional space and turn to flexible workspace instead. In 2022, IWG welcomed hundreds of new partner locations and is on track to add around 1,000 over the course of the next year. IWG already counts 83 per cent of Fortune 500 companies among its customer base.
Mark Dixon, CEO & Founder of IWG, commented: “We are establishing a stronger and much-needed footprint in Pakistan with these latest openings. As an important business hub both Lahore & Islamabad are fantastic places for us to boost our expansion plans. The need for high-quality flexible workspaces continues to soar as hybrid working becomes the new normal. We are very pleased to work in partnership with both Sameer Elahi and Bilal Afzal from M/S Construxive to develop the IWG brand under a management agreement that will add a cutting-edge workspace to their building.
“Our opening in Lahore & Islamabad comes at a time when more and more companies are discovering that flexible working boosts employee happiness and satisfaction, while helping the environment. Our workplace model is also proven to increase productivity and allows for a business to scale up or down at significantly reduced costs.”
Bilal Afzal, Sameer Elahi & Saad Mehmood expressed their pleasure in partnering with IWG.
Bilal Afzal commented: “IWG is the world’s largest flexible space operator and this partnership will give us a unique and flexible solution empowering our business to be most productive. It’s a multi-brand offering to suit everyone’s needs as everything is included, from cutting edge IT infrastructure, to telephony set-up and the reconfigured space provide a safe and healthy environment for our business”.
“We are living in an era of Hybrid Working where employees divide their working hours between their company headquarters, their home and a local flexible workspace, which maximize productivity, while creating a more sustainable way of working for both people and planet” added Sameer Elahi.
Saad Mehmood noted: “Digitalization and new technologies are transforming the world of work and Pakistanis want the personal productivity benefits of living and working how and where they want. Local businesses want the financial and strategic benefits and IWG is helping Pakistani start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies”.
IWG’s multi-brand expansion strategy is designed to appeal to every type of business and entrepreneur. IWG creates personal, financial, and strategic value for businesses of every size, from some of the most exciting companies and well-known organisations on the planet, to individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of flexible working to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.
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