a sense of security

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QATAR

With estimated project-related surveillance investment in Qatar at USD 569 mn, the security and surveillance market is expected to witness notable growth in the near future. By Khadiza Begum, Doha

A SENSE OF SECURITY

bq | COVER STORY | SECURITY MARKET

October 2015

23bq | COVER STORY | SECURITY MARKET

Qatar is leading the race in develop-ing more powerful, state-of-the-art systems to enhance personal security for residents and more effectively protecting vitally important state properties and infrastructure. With increased security in mind, the Minis-try of Interior (MOI) has made it man-datory for all businesses nationwide to install and maintain closed-circuit camera surveillance on all structures. “It is hoped that along with the aim of boosting more effective levels of secu-rity nationwide, this law will simul-taneously have a positive impact upon growth within the security and surveillance industry in Qatar,” says Zeyad Al Jaidah, managing director of Techno Q.

Banking, hospitality and retail driv-ing the marketSecurity and surveillance are services that impact all sectors of the economy, including transportation, govern-ment, ministries, financial institu-tions, hospitals, educational institu-tions, oil and gas facilities, hospitality, entertainment and sport sectors.

Some specific market segments have outperformed others and wit-nessed a particularly rapid growth. Mujeeb Mohammed, business head of Security and Safety Solutions at CGC (Consolidated Gulf Co.), reveals that banking, hospitality and retail have displayed a rapid rise in the purchas-ing and installation of new security and surveillance solutions in recent years.

This is in part due to their mode of operation, because such establish-ments are increasingly busy owing to

ever growing numbers of customers, and more business from tourists and migrant workers. Consequently, such businesses have shown a rapid increase in footfall on a daily basis, necessitating more effective surveil-lance solutions.

Following a worldwide trend, transportation has become one of the major sectors in the industry, and Qatar is currently witnessing vastly increased investment in security net-works for road infrastructure, includ-ing transport networks and traffic surveillance.

Additionally, in the space of only a few years, Qatar has become one of the most attractive tourist hotspots in the Middle East and has begun to host an increasing number of key inter-national events. For example, Qatar Tourism Authority has allocated QR 236 billion to fund a massive tourism program to implement, organise and enhance safety at the 2022 World Cup. The aim of this program is to provide state-of-the-art security for all, moni-toring and organising the smooth and safe operation of a wide and diverse range of activities within the

MOI has made it man-datory for all businesses nationwide to install and maintain closed-circuit camera surveillance on all structures

hospitality and entertainment sectors involved in the staging of the huge

festival of soccer, such as restaurants, hotels, spas, resorts, health clubs, and guest houses.

Consequently, security and sur-veillance solutions providers are rush-ing to supply the country with enough security equipment and services to meet the projected demand.

However, within this general growth, it is becoming evident that the specifications for all businesses are not same. As Jameel Al Jayyosi, projects manager at JBK Controls says: “Each of these businesses can have different MOI (Ministry of Interior) specifica-tions. It is a government prerequisite to install systems that will gain MOI approval, and this is also true of safety systems such as fire alarms, firefight-ing and fire suppressing equipment. All new installations must meet with current specifications and attain approval from the Qatar Civil Defence authorities.”

No safety standards, no businessThe increased security challenges posed by the FIFA World Cup in 2022 will require the installation of some of the most sophisticated security and surveillance systems both within and outside the relevant venues, and throughout the coun-try’s wider infrastructure. Govern-ing bodies and other public author-ities have significantly increased overall spending on security and surveillance systems. According to MEED’s Insight Research & Analy-sis, 2014, estimated project-related surveillance investment in Qatar (2014-17) now stands at USD 569 mn. This increased investment has led

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to significant expansion and growth in businesses that are directly and indirectly involved in the security and surveillance market in Qatar.

Ongoing urban development, the rapid expansion of public transport networks and concerns pertaining to public safety have all been iden-tified as the fundamental drivers that will lead to increased market growth in coming years. Law No. 9 of 2011, enforced by the MOI’s Secu-rity Systems Department (SSD), has mandated that surveillance cameras have to be installed in all residential compounds, and on all business structures around the country. Those who violate or fail to comply with this legislation could be sentenced to three years in prison, and incur fines of QR 50,000, in addition to the withdrawal or complete suspension of their busi-ness license.

“The regulation from Qatar’s MOI has ensured the governing authori-ties only issue or renew operating licenses to organisations that com-pletely adhere to the stipulated compliance and safety standards”

Mohammed believes this 2011 directive has already significantly boosted demand for superior secu-rity systems in Qatar. Prior to that, the market was driven by customer requirements, and the onus was on service providers and business

owners themselves to offer safety and security solutions. As a result, security and safety systems were often not up to standard, or non-existent.

The directive also underscores the need for customer education as to the potential benefits of effective implementation of these systems. Mohammed adds: “The regulation from Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has ensured the governing authorities only issue or renew operating licenses to organisations that completely adhere to the stipulated compliance and safety standards. This has greatly expanded the security business potential in the market since 2011, and it has grown in line with the pace of infrastructure development in Qatar.”

CCTV and Fire Alarm Systems most in demandThe security and surveillance systems mainly include CCTV/IP surveillance cameras, burglar and fire alarms, access control systems, elevator con-trol systems, communications solu-tions and information management such as gate barrier systems.

Al Jaidah mentions that CCTV is currently the most popular security innovation and more in demand than any other security solutions available in the market today. “The demand for CCTV is matched only by the demand for fire alarm systems. The latest advances in computer technology have resulted in the implementation of Internet Protocol (IP) surveillance systems, a digitised, tightly net-worked version of closed-circuit tele-vision (CCTV) that offers a number of benefits over traditional analogue CCTV,” he says.

The second most popular

products are access control systems, mostly electronically operated sys-tems, used to protect crucial national resources such as power stations and oil facilities against unauthorised or undesired user access. Mohammed says: “Internet Protocol (IP) based sur-veillance systems are in high demand due to their ease of use and remote accessibility. However, most of these security software and hardware prod-ucts are imported due to the fact that they automatically have to comply with approved international stan-dards and certifications pertaining to their construction.”

Al Jayyosi adds, “There are many large international companies that provide smart and high-tech solutions for security systems, for example, LENEL for access control and Pelco for CCTV.” Other known brands imported into Qatar include iNFO-CARE, HID, Genetec, Gallagher, Axis Communications, Verint and BOSCH. All are easily available and installed by Qatar’s security and sur-veillance companies.

Crucially, many elements such as metal enclosures, conduits and civil items are increasingly being sourced at a local level. This localised business plays an important role in enhanc-ing local security and surveillance industries.

The very latest technology In recent years, as technological


CCTV is currently the most popular security innovation and more in demand than any other security solutions available in the market today.

Mujeeb Mohammed, business head of Security and Safety Solutions, CGC

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advances are constantly made, there have been numerous innovations in the security and surveillance industry, both domestically and worldwide. “Technology in CCTV is evolving and it is not only with the camera but also the software. Some software is capa-ble of analysing footage to produce valuable data and customer insights, such as face recognition software. These programs can also be arrayed to detect customer age range, gender and demographics, enabling retailers to contour their customer base to set their business plan,” says Al Jaidah.

Many elements such as metal enclosures, con-duits and civil items are increasingly being sourced at a local level. This localised business plays an important role in enhancing local secu-rity and surveillance industries

Qatari businesses and government organisations have kept pace with the world’s most demanding surveillance requirements. For example, the spec-ifications demanded by the Ministry of Interior insist that surveillance systems must have better quality compression techniques to ensure storage capacity, in MPEG-4 or H.264 format, for all camera recordings for a period of up to 120 days. (It is interest-ing to note here the minimum video storage capacity in some of the most developed countries today is still a rel-atively small 30 days). Moreover, the recording frame rate and resolution must be programmable from the user level. And of particular importance with regard to the extreme weather conditions common to desert nations like Qatar, cameras must be suitable for operation in periods of high tem-perature or relative humidity, and must be non-condensing for a clear and accurate image or recording.

Mohammed states that recent innovations include vehicle number plate recognition systems that can

track down incidents and vehicles by using advanced tracking capabilities. Recently, Qatar has introduced new smart cameras in order to keep a closer track of traffic violations, and they can be managed from a central operations room that records such violations simply by zooming in on offending vehicles and recording their license number, as evidence for any future fines or punishments.

As a result, the demand for smart cameras and their impact on data generation is forcing storage manu-facturers towards a greater adherence to quality and more importantly, longevity, increasing new investment and encouraging upgrades from older analogue-based solutions.

Legal proceduresStarting up a business in security and surveillance will require a new trader to meet the strict requirements that are demanded by the MOI. Al Jaidah reveals that in order to be an autho-rised seller and installer in security industry, it is required to have a 100 percent Qatari owned entity, a certain amount of capital, certified engineers, acquire a license from the MOI, among other requirements.

Some registered companies will be allowed to install security equip-ment contractually, although these services may be sub-contracted out. As Mohammed clarifies, although sub-contracting is sometimes not directly agreed upon, in some cases the approved contractor can assign a sub-contractor to undertake

complimentary jobs such as civil and electrical works, along with other non-skilled activities. “This is justifiable as long as the approved contractor hon-ours the project’s legal requirements, especially with regard to the stipula-tions set by the government. And this must be in line with the client’s legal and commercial requirements,” he adds.

New set of written guidelines neededAl Jaidah talks about some challenges to the effective growth of Qatari secu-rity and safety systems companies. “The first challenge is the complex and often slow process of receiving the rel-evant permissions and approvals from the MOI,” he says and adds that the second challenge is there are no new


Zeyad Al Jaidah, managing director, Techno Q

MEA access control market’s last year’s value was USD 200 mn, and it is expected to reach closeto USD 500 mn in 2018

a sense of security

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