The importance of Safety in building design is coming into sharp focus across the GCC, which is currently in the midst of a building boom fuelled by continuing economic growth across the region.
This was underlined at the Safety Design in Buildings Conference series sponsored by Intersec, which today (October 29) completed its three-leg tour of the Kingdom with stops in the three main cities, Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah, from October 27 to 29.
Turning the focus on vital topics affecting the construction industry in the region, speakers at the conference series discussed building design, evacuation, fire safety, building codes and the current standards of safety in the regional built-up environment.
Organised by Sesam Business Consultants, the conference is sponsored by Intersec - the world’s leading trade fair for security, safety and fire protection. The conference forms part of a GCC-wide initiative to debate and highlight the current standards of safety and security in buildings in the region as well as to promote a dialogue between regional industry professionals and international experts.
“Safety in building design is a topic of vital importance in the GCC as the region forges ahead with new real estate and infrastructure development projects,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Intersec.
“The conference brings together a large number of industry stakeholders in a useful and informative forum to discuss current needs and requirements and the latest building safety codes and government regulations.”
“As the world’s leading trade fair for the security, safety, and fire protection industries, Intersec is proud to be an official sponsor of such an important platform that promotes the adoption of the latest building evacuation and safety measures across the GCC,” Pauwels added.
The Safety Design in Buildings Conference featured a high-powered panel of international safety and design experts. Supported by the American Institute of Architects Middle East, the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB), the Society of Facade Engineering (CIBSE) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM Internaitonal), the conference was aimed at a target audience that included architects, engineers, regulators and related professionals of the construction and contracting industry.
On the conference programme were presentations and panel discussions on Fire and Facades; Access Control and Egress Planning; Phased Evacuation for High Rises; Safety considerations for high rises and super talls. The next level of safety specification standards, as well as other vital fire safety and building design topics of interest were also high on the agenda.
The Safety Design in Buildings Conference will continue its tour of the GCC countries with a visit to Muscat, Oman on 8 December 2014, before wrapping up the 2014-2015 series at Intersec 2015 in Dubai, UAE on 20 January.
Taking place from 18-20 January 2015 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the 17th edition of Intersec will feature more than 1,300 exhibitors from 50 countries, 300 of them making their debut. The three-day event is expected to be at least 15 per cent larger than the previous edition.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Intersec focuses on the five core areas of Commercial Security; Information Security; Fire & Rescue; Safety & Health; and Homeland Security & Policing.
New additions for 2015 include two new pavilions – the first being an Aerial Surveillance Pavilion, which focuses on aerial surveillance, unmanned aerial systems, search & rescue, and EMS (Emergency Medical Services).
The second is the GPEC (General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference) Pavilion, which complements the Homeland Security & Policing section, covering all relevant products for internal security, including information and communications, vehicles and traffic control, criminal science and forensic technology.
Other highlights that the more than 26,000 visitors can expect at Intersec 2015 include the Techtextil Pavilion which focuses on technical textiles and nonwoven protective clothing; the Dubai SME Pavilion, dedicated to UAE start-ups and SMEs involved in the security and safety industries; and a highly focused line-up of six dedicated conferences covering every aspect of safety, security, and fire protection.
Intersec 2015 will also feature 13 country pavilions from Germany, UK, USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UAE.
Intersec is the largest and most international trade fair of Messe Frankfurt’s global network of security and safety exhibitions, which include: Secutech India, Secutech in Taiwan, Secutech Thailand, Intersec Buenos Aires, Secutech Vietnam and Seguriexpo Buenos Aires.
More information is available at www.intersecexpo.com