Keeping a watchful eye

Ousama Kabbani explains how the security market has evolved in the Middle East region and how surveillance technology is improving.

Can you give us a quick rundown on how the Middle East security market was in the past and where it has evolved to today?

Ousama Kabbani: I remember the first time I approached a client in Jeddah in the late 1960s, he bluntly asked me: "Why would I be needing a security system when Allah (swt) protect me from above?" He may have had a point then. Looking around me, I saw a Rajhi money exchange shop owner close down for prayer by simply covering his goods (cash in essence) with a blanket, then going off to the mosque. It is said that "Need is the mother of invention". Maybe you wouldn't hear of a theft then, or at least a theft without severe punishment. But as crime rates rise steadily in theft and/or terrorism, so does the need for security counter measures.

When did industrial security start becoming paramount in this area?

OK: After 9/11 of course, though it had already been making remarkable strides in some countries such as Saudi Arabia, thanks to local legislation from the Ministry of Interior through their High Commission of Industrial Security (HCIS) that sets standards and ensures that all executed security projects meet those standards.

When did this legislation come into force?

OK: Since the early 1990s, every industrial and/or critical site in Saudi Arabia must have an integrated security system in place. This is what makes Saudi Arabia a very attractive market for security companies. They are growing in number every day. But of course, advanced security solutions remain in the hands of only a few professional integrators with the necessary technical know-how and financial strength.

What was the most demanding project that AFHC (ISSD) has been involved in?

OK: We have executed many security projects of high caliber in Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain but the most demanding one was the integrated security system of a modern university on the west coast where intelligent long range CCTV cameras were deployed to detect intruders and pin point their exact location along the 15 km perimeter using satellite geo-positioning techniques.

We see the market flooded with CCTV cameras of all sorts. How can you choose the right camera for your application?

OK: Most of the cameras you currently see on the market are of the analogue type. They are cheap. However, with the giant leaps in today's information technology, analogue cameras are becoming something of the past. They are being rapidly replaced by IP digital types, allowing communication over LAN networks with unprecedented image clarity and features. Cameras with high processing power now yield high definition images with video content analysis. This means that it is now possible to analyse the size, speed, direction, quantity and behaviour of the image and alert the operator only when the image behaviour meets certain criteria as set by the software.

What is your preferred security technology at the moment?

OK: There is a definite tendency for our designers to rely more and more on image behaviour analysis as a means of intrusion detection and site control. And since this technology is in a state of constant change, our strategy at Abdulla Fouad is to always provide our clients with the most up-to-date technology without compromising their already existing systems.

Ousama Kabbani is an experienced veteran of the security world having been involved in the industry for 40 years. He is an electronic engineer and has for many years been working extensively throughout the Middle East. He currently holds the position of General Manager of the Industrial Security & Safety Division (ISSD) of Abdulla Fouad Holding Co. in Saudi Arabia.