Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened the International Security and Safety Exhibition Intersec 2016 on January 17th at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, which was recently recognised as the largest security, fire and safety exhibition in the world. This year, 1,290 exhibitors from 55 countries came together under one roof to showcase their latest technology.
Ahmad Pauwels, CEO of Intersec 2016 organiser, Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said that the trading value of the security industry in the Middle East is estimated at more that $10 billion (Dh36.73 billion) a year. “Our marketing and research team estimated that 25 per cent of that figure will be traded here, in Intersec, so almost $2.5 billion. Last year’s trading was estimated at $2.2 billion,” he said.
He said that it is always a pleasure to have Shaikh Mansour open the exhibition as he is very interested in the security and fire sectors, tours most of the exhibition and asks a lot of questions. This is the fifth year that he is opening the exhibition.
This year, Intersec introduced the new Smart Home section as a starting point to showcase technologies that support smarter, safer, and more energy-efficient buildings in Dubai, the UAE, and the wider Middle East. Another new feature in the exhibition this year was a careers pavilion.
Pauwels said, “At Intersec 2016 at least 100 companies officially confirmed new product launches, from the world’s first and only remote-controlled firefighting support machine to smart home security systems using the latest building automation technologies.”
Intersec 2016 spanned 50,000 square metres, and had 14 country pavilions. Other new additions this year include a Safety Design in Buildings Pavilion in the Fire and Rescue section, along with a dedicated Jobs and Careers Pavilion, bringing thousands of professionals together with specialist security-related recruitment companies.
About the Author
Neil Wallington is a former British Chief Fire Officer, a Past International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, and a holder of the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. He is the author of 17 books on the work of the fire service, and acts as a consultant with extensive experience in the Gulf on a range of projects.
