More than 1,300 exhibitors from 58 countries will take part in Intersec, a leading global trade and networking event for security, safety and fire protection, which is set to celebrate two decades of remarkable success in January, in Dubai, UAE.

The 20th anniversary edition will take place from January 21 to 23. Over 31,000 visitors from 128 countries are expected to attend as they seek the latest solutions across seven show sections of commercial security, fire and rescue, safety and health, homeland security and policing, perimeter and physical security, cyber security, and smart home and building automation.

Occupying 60,000-sq-m across 13 halls and 10 per cent extra space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Intersec 2018 has added a new drones pavilion and indoor drone zone, while a wearable security pavilion will put the spotlight on advanced textiles including head-up displays, body cameras, embedded sensors, exo-skeleton communications and more.

From humble beginnings in 1999, when it featured 61 exhibitors from 13 countries, Intersec has developed into a global powerhouse, with 19 of the world’s top 20 security solutions providers among the 1,300-plus exhibitors on board in 2018. 

The event has grown in-line with many of the exhibitors that have been with the show from the beginning.  Naffco is one of 12 exhibitors at Intersec 2018 that participated in the inaugural edition in 1999. 

Since then, the UAE-based company has established itself as one of the world’s leading suppliers of life and fire safety solutions, with a global network spanning over 100 countries.

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Intersec, said: “The event continues to scale new heights as the world’s premier showcase of the latest security, fire, and life safety solutions.”

“Societies, governments and corporates are increasingly pulling out the stops to combat various threats and ensure the security of people, infrastructure, property and information. This has led to a resultant surge in demand for the latest safety and security products and solutions,” he said.

He continued: “From the beginning, the event has paved the way for leading safety and security providers to access regional markets and facilitated many of the beneficial partnerships and relations forged over the years.”

“By continuing to prioritise the showcasing of the cutting edge new developments and the latest technologies, we hope to continue to play a constructive role in making the region a safer and more secure place,” Pauwels added.

Intersec’s impressive global presence over the last 20 years coincides with the Middle East region’s own rapid rise as a significant growth market for homeland and commercial security and fire protection.

According to analysts Frost & Sullivan (F&S), the Middle East homeland security market, comprising monitoring and surveillance systems, restricted entry systems and perimeter security solutions, is estimated to reach $17.05 billion by 2021, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6 per cent between 2015 and 2021.

The commercial security market too has witnessed an upswing throughout the region creating opportunities for suppliers of video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection. 

Valued at $1.93 billion in 2015, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR (2016-2021) of 17 per cent, reaching $4.82 billion by 2021, says F&S. 

Meanwhile, the Middle East fire safety market is expected to be worth $4.4 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 12.4 per cent between 2016 and 2021.

With more than 580 exhibitors, commercial security is the largest section at the event, with more than two-thirds of the world’s top 50 security solutions players on board, including Hikvision, Bosch, Dahua, Assa Abloy, Tyco, FLIR, Hanwha Techwin, Axis Communications, Avigilon, Panasonic, Infinova, IDIS, and Milestone Systems.

Returning features include the safety design in buildings pavilion in the fire and rescue section, as well as an outdoor demonstration zone of the latest fire rescue applications in action.  A comprehensive three-day conference programme will also discuss and analyse new developments, innovations, legislation and changing paradigms within the Middle East safety and security industry.

Intersec is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and supported by the Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, the Dubai Police Academy, and the Dubai Municipality, it stated.