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Health and safety first for Intersec 2007 exhibition and conference programme
 Chris Hudson exhibitions director Messe Frankfurt Dubai, Toby Hayward secretary IOSH; Imke Cochran group exhibition manager Intersec ME; Neil Wallington Intersec ME conference co-ordinator and chairman: Tony Potter vice chairman IOSH
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Europe's largest organisation for safety and health professionals, is to stage its first Middle East conference at Messe Frankfurt's Intersec, the largest security, fire and safety trade fair in the region. The conference will take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21st - 23rd January 2007.
IOSH is widely recognised in many parts of the world as the benchmark authority on all matters to do with health and safety. In order to better represent the interests of existing members from the region and to encourage new members to join, IOSH has established a Middle East branch. Members work for some of the region's largest companies including Saudi Aramco, Balfour Beatty and Dubai Dry Docks. IOSH has a membership of 30,000 members worldwide, including more than 8,000 chartered safety and health practitioners. In the Middle East there are 200 members.
IOSH's incoming president, Lisa Fowlie, will chair the safety and health conference at Intersec. Lisa has been involved in health and safety in the fields of retail, wholesale, transport, industry, agriculture and academia. She will discuss competence, communication and training for business success.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive officer, Dubai Dry Docks will present his paper titled: What's In It For Me? He will discuss how business can benefit from making safety the highest priority in their organisation.
Also from the UAE is Mr Kamarajan, general manager HSE, ETA Ascon Group of Companies who will be talking about Safety Professionals in the Middle East - The Challenges and the Path Ahead. Kamarajan holds the position of Honourary Secretary in the Emirates Safety Group, a non-profit body of HSE Professionals in UAE. Other speakers include Alawi Shubber, managing director of the Occupational Safety and Health Center of Bahrain and Graeme McCaig, general manager of the Dutco Balfour Beatty Group, who will focus on global safety and health issues as well as those of particular interest to the Middle East region. 
Turkish banks go digital
Digital video surveillance systems from AIM-listed SerVision Plc have been chosen to protect ATM cash machines at two of Turkey's leading banks. Pronet, SerVision's exclusive distributor in Turkey, has won tenders from two different banks; the Isbank and the TEB. TEB bank is owned by BNP Paribas Banks, one of the largest international banking networks, with strong positions in Asia, Europe and a significant presence in the US.
Pronet has already installed systems in a number of Isbanks' ATM's. The project calls for 750 alarm units to cover the surveillance of their ATM systems. The first stage calls for the installation of alarm verification at 700 ATM's and an additional 50 ATM systems with alarm and video verification. When the first stage has proved successful, the additional 700 systems will be installed with video as well as alarm.
The TEB Bank project calls for the installation of 60 DVRs to monitor ATMs. Pronet says it won the tender after the bank had tested several different demo systems and found SerVision's system to be ideal for their security and infrastructure requirements.
Demand for aviation security in the region outstrips Europe and Asia
 Head of Air Traffic Services at the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai, Mansoor Mohammed Taher
The Middle East is now the world’s largest market for air traffic control, radar and airport security equipment and systems with demand outstripping that of Europe and Asia, according to the head of Air Traffic Services at the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai.
Mansoor Mohammed Taher said with Middle Eastern air traffic growth now far exceeding that of other regions and with almost every country in the area investing in new airport builds, the market is the most buoyant for international suppliers.
“While Europe and Asia share our common need to constantly upgrade to maintain safety levels, the Middle East is differentiated because it is not constrained by land availability and so is investing in new airports to ensure it meets growth and does not create capacity limitations,” explained Taher.
“This is true for Dubai where we have embarked on the huge Dubai World Central International airport at Jebel Ali, but also for other international airports in the UAE and the Middle East where investment is focused on airport automation.”
Taher, who also has a key role on the Flying Committee of the Dubai Airshow, has revealed that Dubai’s entire air traffic and approach radar operations will move to Dubai World Central by 2009.
“This has now been agreed and a budget for the purchase of state-ofthe- art ATC and radar systems has been earmarked. At Dubai 2007 we will be looking to source the very latest technology, not just for ATC equipment and radar systems but also for general airport systems and security equipment.”
And Taher said Dubai is currently leading the way in investment in the latest air traffic services technology citing the DCA’s recent US$3.6 million contract placed with the UK’s QinetiQ for its ground-breaking Tarsier runway debris detection
“We are the first in the Middle East, and indeed the world, to utilize this technology,” said Taher. The move to Dubai World Central International, being built to reduce pressure on Dubai International airport which is currently handling a peak of 700 aircraft movements a day, is also set to increase local demand for air traffic controllers – with the allotment rising from the current 85 air traffic control officers, 35% of which are UAE nationals, to 120.
“Coming with this growth and our desire to increase the number of Emirati employees in this sector, will be a rise in demand for training. We have designed an expansive training programme, much of which will take place at the Emirates Training Centre in Dubai, but we will be looking overseas for more advanced needs.” Taher believes air traffic service systems and equipment will be in high demand at Dubai 2007, which is expected to be the largest yet, with the show’s site being redesigned for a third time to accommodate growth.
Middle East region second only to United States in global e-security spending
The Middle East spent US$4.718bn
on e-security services in 2005, a
15.6% increase on the previous year.
The region’s spending is second only
to the US, which spent US$6.065bn.
According to a report published by
International Data Corporation (IDC), it
is expected that this figure will reach
US$5.620bn in 2006 and US$9.338bn
by 2009, with a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6%.
Henri J Kassab, managing director of LP Global Solutions FZ LLC (LPGS), a Dubai-based
information security solutions provider, said: “Having emerged rapidly, the Middle East, specially the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) have eagerly adopted the latest in technology and have been able to incorporate security mechanisms across integrated platforms for running internet applications. Whereas, the USA, Europe and parts of Asia had to add on security technologies that matched their existing applications rendering their pend slower and more controlled.”
He adds: "Due to the entrepreneurial spirit, knowledgeable workforce and responsible government, the UAE has led the region in adopting technology security and internet applications."
In December 2005, LPGS
announced its first partnership in the Middle East with SafeNet Inc, a leading provider of network and information security products and solutions. LPGS offers a wide range of products including encryption solutions, biometric authentication systems, high-availability VPNs, site control devices to cryptographic techniques and ID-card systems.
A $7 million security contract integrates access control and IP-based CCTV at Egypt’s airports
SITA, a leading provider of IT solutions to airports worldwide, is embarking on a major $7m project o overhaul security on the land and air sides at all seven of Egypt’s airports including Terminals One and Two at Cairo International Airport.
The security systems and procedures will be to International Civil Aviation Organization standard, covering Cairo, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Hurgada, Luxor, Aswan, Borg Al- Arab and Abu Simbel, which welcome over 20 million passengers each year.
This is a unique project for the region. SITA will design and implement a Video over Internet Protocol (IP-based) Closed-Circuit Television System integrated with a Security Access Control System (SACS) covering both the land and air sides for each of the seven airports. In all cases, the security system will also be integrated with the fire alarm system, the baggage X-ray machines, as well as with the SITA Airport Operational Data Base.
The seven airports will be linked to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Cairo where a Crisis Management Room and Security Operation Room will receive alarms from the different locations and will be able to monitor any selected camera at any airport.
The communication between the ministry and the different airports will be done through a video conferencing facility provided by SITA within the scope of this project.
SITA will also be providing - in agreement with an ICAO security manager - a security consultancy service to the airports, aiming to review and update the security rules at each airport and build business rules for the equipment provided based on the latest ICAO recommendations.
"We have chosen SITA through a tendering process in which five other companies participated. SITA has already connected Egypt's remote airports to the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority through a Wide Area Network which will help to have an integrated system working efficiently to meet security needs," said General Maged El-Masry, chairman of AVIT, the IT branch of the Aviation Ministry. Egypt was the first country in the region to adopt Common Use Terminal Equipment which allows multiple airlines to access their own Departure Control Systems using a common platform, said Khodr Akil, SITA vice president for Egypt and South Africa. "This concern for the passenger's well being also comes through in this new project which will greatly enhance the security and safety of visitors to Egypt," said Akil.
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