KSA ranks first in the Arab world for airport security
Sydney Chau, executive director of the Aviation Security Company Ltd. (Avseco) in China, underlined the importance of holding conferences regarding airport security to foil and counter threats to passengers in his keynote speech on Monday during the International Conference for Airport Security held in Jeddah.
In a statement to Arab News on the sidelines of the conference, Chau said, “Interest in airport security has increased and evolved, especially after the 9/11 events. This conference provides the forum for specialists to converge and discuss the latest security developments.”
Faisal bin Hamad Al-Sugair, vice president of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), inaugurated the conference on behalf of Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, the president of GACA.
The executive director said that the Kingdom ranks first in the Arab world in terms of security despite the challenges posed by the large number of travelers streaming into the Kingdom for Umrah, Haj and business.
He added that terrorism is one of the many challenges that face airport security officials, in addition to lack of passenger cooperation and understanding of airport measures.
Chau pointed out that Hong Kong International Airport received more than 50 million passengers last year alone, citing some of the difficulties faced by Avseco, which is responsible for the airport’s security, including mechanical, functional and cargo issues, especially as the world’s busiest cargo gateway.
Meanwhile, Al-Sugair pointed out in his speech that the civil aviation industry currently faces many security challenges that require concerted efforts on sever- al levels in order to enhance security and protect travelers, aircraft and airports.
Prominent international and local spokesmen attended the conference, as well as companies specialized in manufacturing equipment for airport security. The exhibition also showcased several presentations on the latest technologies, services and programs universally adopted to protect the security of buildings at airports, passenger traffic and the safety of the air cargo industry.
At the end of the ceremony, the sponsoring companies were honored by Faisal bin Hamad Sugair, vice-president of the Civil Aviation Authority, who handed out an honorary shield to Fawzy M. Mosly, a representative of Saudi Research and Marketing Group, for being the primary sponsor of the conference.