Securing Saudi’s future

First there was Automechanika Jeddah, then there was Materials Handling Saudi Arabia, and now there’s Intersec Saudi Arabia; that’s right folks, our march into the Kingdom’s vast and untapped market continues to role on unabated.

By the time we made the official announcement last week that Intersec – the world’s leading international trade fair for security, safety, and fire protection – was making its debut in Saudi, we’d already welcomed on-board 18 of the world’s premier commercial security and fire protection companies as official launch partners.

That’s testament to the clear opportunities that Saudi presents to the global security and safety industries. When it finally opens for business in May 2017 at the Jeddah Center for Forum and Events, we expect the three-day event to feature around 125 exhibitors from 20 countries.

As with our other Saudi shows, we’ve partnered with our good friends ACE Group to bring Intersec Saudi Arabia to fruition, and we’re confident that, with Intersec’s unmatched global reputation, and ACE’s deep knowledge of the local market, this event will be a huge success.

According to industry estimates, spending on security-related products in Saudi is set to reach US$15.4 billion by 2018. This helps explain why the number of Saudi trade visitors to our flagship Intersec show in Dubai has increased by 53 per cent from 2012 to 2016. 

That’s also one of the key reasons why we decided to launch Intersec Saudi Arabia; to bring the Kingdom directly to the doorsteps of key stakeholders, where international players can increase their market share, and thousands of Saudi visitors can keep up-to-date with the latest global technologies and services.

But why Jeddah? With a population of almost four million, the port city is the Kingdom’s commercial hub, and a barometer of economic and tourism growth. Its rich trade hub status that dates back thousands of years makes it the ideal location for Intersec Saudi Arabia.

There’s been a lot of talk how Saudi’s economy has teetered over the last year and a half, as the global crude oil glut and subsequent price slump has squeezed government revenues, forcing the country to cut spending and draw down its reserves.

But this is a good thing. Economic diversification is the way forward, and Saudi’s government is making the right moves; its long-awaited National Transformation Plan which it released last month outlines a list of wide-ranging reforms that will wean the economy off its dependence on oil.

The new policies will open the country up to more trade and foreign investment, boost private sector jobs, offer industries incentives to grow, and align it with international codes of conduct. This is good news for us, and all our stakeholders, and we’re confident the investment we’re making now will deliver big returns in the long-run. 

To that end, Intersec Saudi Arabia is our latest show to be launched in the Kingdom, but it certainly won’t be our last.