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When Khalid Al Khatib established National Fire Fighting Manufacturing Company (NAFFCO) in 1991, it didn’t take long for the spark to ignite into a global powerhouse. Initially a team of 15, NAFFCO Group has grown beyond its United Arab Emirates headquarters into one of the largest manufacturers of fire fighting equipment in the world, with a presence in 100 countries, encompassing both security services and fire protection.
“I give everything the time it deserves, and when it’s time to work, I give it my full attention,” Al Khatib tells The CEO Magazine. “We do our best and we leave the rest to God. That’s the beautiful thing in life – there’s no red carpet, but there are challenges that make you stronger. It’s all part of the journey.”
“I want to provide products that can affect people’s lives.”
For Al Khatib, an industrial engineering graduate with a lifelong passion for fire protection, his journey has been a balancing act between saving lives and growing his business.
“At the end of the day, I’m not only interested in making sales. I want to provide products that can affect people’s lives,” he says.
The latest item in NAFFCO’s utility belt is a smoke management system that Al Khatib believes provides a total solution.
“This is a new playground for NAFFCO,” he reveals. “Previously, there’d be one supplier for fans and another supplier for other parts; each part was coming from a different place, and I didn’t feel the combination of so many different products was as efficient as it could be. We manufacture everything in-house, bringing everything together into one package, and we’re doing very well with it.”
The CEO says it’s just one example of NAFFCO Group’s value innovation.
“You can’t sit still. In this industry, if you stay where you are, sooner or later you’re going to fall,” he cautions.
NAFFCO’s continued growth and success over the past 35 years has been driven by strong leadership and a clear division of responsibilities among its executive team, which include Al Khatib’s three sons.
Ahmed oversees Local Sales, R&D, IoT and several strategic business functions, driving innovation, technological advancement and market growth. Ali leads the company’s Export Operations, Fire Truck Division and Vehicle Manufacturing activities, strengthening its global presence and expanding its specialized product portfolio. Ibrahim is responsible for Manufacturing Operations, ensuring operational excellence, quality and production efficiency across the Group’s facilities.
Today, NAFFCO is home to more than 20,000 employees worldwide and continues to be led by Ahmed and Ali as Group Managing Directors, alongside Ibrahim, a member of the CEO Committee. Together, they continue to drive the company’s vision, growth, innovation and commitment to excellence.
“Even though I’m still young, I wanted to make sure my sons would be able to take charge and continue the growth of NAFFCO,” Al Khatib says.
“I have full trust that they can take things to the next level.”
The realm of AI and the IoT is new ground for NAFFCO, but in line with his style, Al Khatib has approached it with boundless zeal and a strong vision.
“We’re going to be providing state-of-the-art fire safety solutions for the kind of buildings they have in places like Dubai or Singapore,” he enthuses.
“You could have multiple buildings connected to an AI platform through IoT with a response time of three seconds, which no human could achieve.”
“When you work in safety, you’re making the world a better place for the next generation.”
An escalation system built into the structures could then follow up until any issues are resolved. Faulty pumps, for instance, could be identified and repaired as soon as the error emerges.
“It used to be up to humans to identify a fault and respond, but now that maintenance can be done entirely through automation,” Al Khatib explains.
“AI can connect every part of the chain, from pumps to the fire alarm system to smoke management. This is a unique platform, one that we’re ensuring works and keeps a building’s safety measures up to date. If you have a working system, there are zero deaths.”
With stakes like these, it’s no wonder NAFFCO Group relies on some of the best companies in the field as its partners. From the durable cabling of Lynxeo and high-end pump systems from Peerless Pump to Elektrovent industrial fans and response vehicles from MAN Truck & Bus, Mercedes-Benz, Scania and Volvo, the NAFFCO range is top-of-the line through and through.
“When there’s success, there’s no one party responsible. The whole system is working and your partners play a big role in that,” Al Khatib says.
“Nobody can do everything, so we have our partners and it’s a two-way street. We can push them for greater innovation and they allow us to achieve our vision to protect life, property and the environment.”
Al Khatib’s belief that complacency is stagnation also applies to NAFFCO’s partners.
“They can’t sit still for our sake,” he points out. “We need to work with the best and we do. If we’ve had a partnership for 10 years but they can no longer provide the best, we’ll find someone else.
“That’s the way it has to be when you’re working in safety.”
“NAFFCO is a company that has made a difference in safety.”
Outside of work, Al Khatib says he insists on switching off.
“Everything has its own time, so when business is finished for the day, that’s my time, and I won’t talk business or play CEO. I don’t mix them at all because my personal time means a lot to me,” he says.
That he can take the time to relax says a lot about the trust he has that the company can function in his absence; it also speaks to the peace of mind quality safety measures can provide.
“When you work in safety, you’re making the world a better place for the next generation,” he says. “When I hear there’s a fire and our system extinguished it, that our work saved lives, it gives me a great sense of pride.
“But it’s not about me personally. I can’t do anything without my team. NAFFCO is a company that has made a difference in safety and I’m only one team member. We’re all in this together.”
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