The 8th edition of Airport Security Middle East will highlight and discuss the current challenges, emerging threat scenarios and future requirements of airport security as a co-located conference during the 24th edition of Airport Show at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 6th to 8th May.

The three-day event will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

The conference will connect airport industry leaders and key decision-makers to keep their airports ahead of time by deploying futuristic and innovative products. It offers premium networking and business opportunities for the airport industry players from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.

Airport Show will have the participation of over 120 exhibitors from over 20 countries, including country pavilions – Germany and Italy, and over 150 buyers from more than 30 countries.

The Airports Council International (ACI) projects that airport investment worldwide is likely to reach US$2.4 billion by 2040. The global airport projects pipeline stood by Q3 2024 at US$589.1 billion. The pipeline of projects in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) stands at US$75.5 billion while it is US$34 billion for South Asia.

AI technology has been ushering in a new era of proactive and intelligent security solutions for airports as they increasingly adopt digital and cloud-based access control.

AI-driven solutions disrupt the physical security landscape by actively monitoring real-time video feeds and analysing data, reducing false alarms, and providing rapid responses.

Smart security systems equipped with computer vision algorithms detect motion while behavioural analytics and threat intelligence platforms continuously monitor camera feeds, flagging suspicious activities.

Colonel Engineer Expert Marwan Mohammad Singel, Director of Dubai Civil Aviation Security Center at Dubai Police, said, "Technology has become a supreme factor for airports to ensure security and safety of facilities, ease of travel and seamless journeys. Along with investing in the best-in-class security technology, we keep our staff well-trained to keep our airports ahead of others by facilitating smooth passenger movements all the time."

Dubai, one of the 50 cities with two international airports under its urban conurbation, successfully, efficiently, and professionally secured 92.3 million passengers in 2024. For the past 10 years, DXB remains the world's top airport by international passenger numbers.

May Ismail, Event Manager at RX, a global company that organises about 400 events across 42 industry sectors in 22 countries, including Airport Show, said, "As airport security systems have to adapt and improvise continuously to meet new challenges and an ever-evolving threat landscape, the Airport Show is bringing an entire gamut of modern security products, several of them making their Middle Eastern debut.

Kamil Al Awadi, IATA's Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, said that passenger traffic is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.9 percent over 20 years, ending in 2043.