THE Higher Organizing Committee of the “Saudi National Security & Risk Prevention Expo” along with Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions supported by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organized the first workshop in the Meet-Up series to prepare the future program and features of the upcoming event, which will be held in Riyadh on November 4 – 6, 2018.

Participants of the workshop, which was held in Riyadh last May 13, included government members from the Higher Organizing Committee and representatives from international and local industry leaders including Thales, Airbus, Huawei, Microsoft, and Booz Allen Hamilton to name a few. They agreed to create a special committee recommending and proposing topics and initiatives to be developed on the sidelines of the planned exhibition, with a special focus on the impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in Haj Safety & Security and Smart & Safe Cities.

Civil Defense Assistant Director General for Safety Major General Abdulrahman Al Husayni said "as national security represents a top priority for the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Interior, actively looks to attract international companies which are interested in investing in potential future projects and provide innovative security solutions to enhance the security sector. The strong interest exhibited by companies in participating in this important event and discussing future projects is a reflection of these efforts.”

Al Husayni noted that the event will see strong attendance by officials from the Ministry of Interior who will participate in the meetings and workshops taking place alongside the exhibition, in addition to the participation of a number of experts, agencies and investors.

"The Saudi National Security and Risk Protection Expo" will be the first event of its kind in the Kingdom, affording 100+ exhibitors from industry leaders an interactive platform to showcase the industry's latest cutting-edge security solutions and products on a 9,500 sqm space. The event will also bring industry leaders, including experts, consultants, regional and international companies of security solutions and risk management together in one place to discuss the future landscape of several key issues, including: border security, Haj security, smart and safe cities, counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity.

Moreover, special awards ceremony will also be held on the sidelines of the exhibition for event participants in the following categories: Artificial Intelligence, Unmanned Systems and Robotics, Smart & Connected Security, Virtual Reality, Drone Detection, Digital Crime and Forensics and Crowd Management. The exhibition will grant a special award entitled as “The Nation Proud” to best Saudi Company offering Innovative Solutions. To be considered, all participants and exhibitors must apply for the award before September 5, 2018.

Also commenting on the exhibition during the inaugural ceremony, CEO of Reed Sunaidi Exhibitions Mrs. Haya Ibrahim Al-Sunaidi said "we are delighted to be a partner in organizing the exhibition which represents a real gate for both the public and private sectors to contribute more effectively to the Kingdom’s future aspirations."

Al-Sunaidi expected that exhibition will witness a widespread participation of 8,000 attendees from public and private sector partners from local, regional and international organizations who will showcase the latest solutions and technology products related to security.

Security Portfolio Group Events Director of Reed Exhibitions Middle East Meline Soulie said "the exhibition provides fertile ground to hold workshops that help participants get firsthand knowledge of the challenges and best practice of the national security solutions sector. It also affords them the opportunity to pursue cooperation opportunities that lead to high-level partnerships consistent with the volume of investments directed by government agencies to the field of security infrastructure development and reliance on the latest and most innovative technologies and applications and technologies."

“Furthermore, new concepts will be presented by leading local and international experts in the futuristic workshops with ample opportunities for knowledge exchange with all stakeholders in the areas of security management, leadership and new applications in digital transformation, with an emphasis on Artificial intelligence,” she added

In addition to program, which is designed to facilitate personal and direct engagement between participants, the exhibition will also include specialized pavilions to showcase security solutions and technologies and the very latest global best practices that are able to meet the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030. — SG