Milipol Qatar 2016, a leading event dedicated to homeland security in the Middle East, which features a number of regional and international companies showcasing new innovative products, opened its doors today (October 31) in Doha, Qatar.

The event is being held under the patronage of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and was officially opened by HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The 11th edition of the event will run until November 2 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ministers and high-ranking officials from a across the region and from international delegations attending the event.

Attendees included Sheikh Mohammed Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Kuwait; Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi, Omani Minister of Interior; Noureddine Badawi, Algeria's Interior and Local Communities Minister; Hédi Mejdoub, Tunisia’s Minister of Interior; Dr Mohammed bin Ali Koman, secretary general of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council; and Police Lieutenant General Aliyev Ismat, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Azerbaijan.
 
Following the opening the ceremony, Sheikh Abdullah toured the various pavilions and sections of the exhibition, where he was briefed about the latest equipment and devices, and innovative services in the field of homeland security and civil defence.

Speaking at the event Sheikh Abdullah said that Milipol Qatar was the fruit of collaboration between Qatar's Ministry of Interior and Milipol France.

He noted that the size and the high quality of participation in the current edition of Milipol Qatar reflects the success of the State of Qatar in attracting major international companies specialised in homeland security and civil defence services and systems, for event to become one of the most prominent exhibitions at the regional and international level.

He explained that the participants are presenting their latest products in the field of homeland security to meet the needs and requirements of security, hoping to achieve more success in the coming sessions.    

More than 230 companies from 35 countries around the world are taking part in the three-day exhibition established on 7,700 sq m. The show floor includes five international pavilions from France, Germany, USA, China, and the UK, along with new participating countries, namely Algeria, Uganda, Lithuania, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Belize, and Jordan. This is in addition to an active and large presence of local companies.

The event provides access to security markets in the entire region and enables key international industry players to meet in a fast-developing environment with medium- to long-term economic and strategic projects.

The event is known for showcasing the latest innovative products and services and for covering all fields of public and industrial security.

This year, Milipol Qatar features a number of leading industry experts providing keynote addresses and panel discussions on topics and recent developments within the sector. Running during the second and third day of the exhibition, the seminars will be split into three half-day tracks, focusing on areas such as crisis management and resilience, safe/smart cities and large events security management, and critical infrastructure protection – cyber threat intelligence, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service