The 24th edition of Intersec – the world’s leading trade fair for safety, security and fire protection – opens at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today spanning more than 48,000 square metres and running across nine halls and the Trade Centre Arena. The event, held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will feature 800 exhibitors from Australia, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, Russia, CIS, North and South America, North and South Africa, Asia, Scandinavia, the USA, and the Indian Subcontinent. There is a 54 per cent rise in the number of exhibitors from 2022 with 180 new-to-show participants. Of the 55 nations represented by exhibitors, ten will have their own national pavilions: Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, Turkey, and the UK. “This year’s show will feature some of the biggest industry names, alongside new entrants to the sector,” says Alex Nicholl, Show Director of event organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East. “We have 42 newcomers from the Emirates this year, which means the UAE now accounts for 20 per cent of our exhibitor profile. Saudi Arabian participants are up 20 per cent too, while we have also seen particularly strong growth from India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Nigeria, and Egypt.” Nicholl adds that the growth is largely due to positive industry forecasts, high demand for solutions to combat increasing cybercrime, and strong international support from government and professional organisations, such the UAE Cybersecurity Council, Saudi Arabia’s National Security Services – SAFE, and Huawei.