The 24th edition of Intersec will open at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 17 January spanning more than 48,000 m sq and running across nine halls as well as the Trade Centre Arena
The event, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will feature 800 exhibitors from Australia, UK, Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, Russia, CIS, North and South America, North and South Africa, Asia, Scandinavia, the USA, and the Indian Subcontinent. The exhibitor profile represents a 54% rise since 2022 with 180 new-to-show participants. Of the 55 nations represented by exhibitors, 10 will have their own national pavilions: Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, Turkey, and the UK.
“This year’s show will feature some of the biggest industry names, alongside new entrants to the sector,” said Alex Nicholl, show director of event organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East. “We have 42 newcomers from the Emirates this year, which means the UAE now accounts for 20% of our exhibitor profile. Saudi Arabian participants are up 20% too, while we have also seen particularly strong growth from India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Nigeria, and Egypt.”
Nicholl added that the growth is largely down to positive industry forecasts, high demand for solutions to combat increasing cybercrime, and strong international support from government and professional organisations, such the UAE Cybersecurity Council, Saudi Arabia’s National Security Services – SAFE, and Huawei.
Major new entrants include Thales of France, Singapore’s ST Engineering, Saudi Arabia’s SAFE, Germany’s AGMC/BMW, Israel’s D-FEND, the UAE’s Tabbara, Holland’s Robin Radar, Sigma Security of Greece, Poland’s Megavision, and VX Ray of the USA.
The event will run from 17-19 January, with dedicated product showcases for commercial and perimeter security, homeland security, fire and rescue, safety and health, cybersecurity and special features, plus a powerful conference and knowledge-sharing programme.
Special features include the Attack Zone, which will be hosted by the Loss Prevention Certification Board and see exhibitors testing their products in live-action demonstrations; and the Safety Walk – sponsored by EnSafe Evacuation Chair, Jutec, and Teijin – which promises “a catwalk of industrial safety gear”. Meanwhile, the Tech Stage will unveil innovations, including virtual reality solutions, anti-drone technology, and new safety materials.
In the Start Smart Zone, start-ups will connect with decision-makers, buyers, and potential investors, while the purpose-built Future Defenders Hack Arena will see cybersecurity teams from schools, universities and CISOs compete for prizes and industry recognition.
“Forecasts reveal an industry eager to invest,” said Nicholl. “The Middle East’s homeland security market is expected to grow annually by 14.5% to 2024, while the commercial security market is set for 16.5% annual growth to reach US$2.3bn in value by 2026. Rising cybercrime is also fuelling demand with the Middle East and African market estimated to grow 14.35% annually to 2030.”
This year's Intersec also includes cybersecurity awareness sessions for students and sector professionals with Cybernode, a partnership between the Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) and Thales, looking to up-skill the region’s cyber workforce.
The main Intersec Conference features four dedicated streams and over 150 speakers. The invite only, two-day Intersec Security Leaders’ Summit is a high-level strategic convention for policymakers and decision-makers to collaborate, innovate, and seek new technologies. The gathering will address government strategies, homeland security and policing, commercial and perimeter security, and cutting-edge technologies. There will also be an on-stage conversation around the development of a holistic approach to large event security management in which FIFA’s Director of Safety, Security, and Access will share learnings from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The UAE Cybersecurity Council will also host a dedicated Cybersecurity Conference with attendees hearing from government leaders, CSOs and CISOs across oil and gas, BFSI, healthcare, hospitality, and energy and utilities industries.
A dedicated Fire & Rescue Conference will be hosted by Dubai Civil Defence and will see the region’s fire and emergency service leaders delve into the key challenges, opportunities, standards, policies, and technology. Meanwhile, a highly focussed Safety & Health Seminar will explore MENA’s new regulatory changes.
