Intersec does not begin at the exhibition gates – it begins with a simple question: Are we safer today? This is why I consider it an annual test of our cities’ ability to safeguard lives, empower workplaces and support the growth of opportunities, writes His Excellency Khalifa Ibrahim Al Saleis, CEO & Executive Director, SIRA.
In January 2026, Dubai will open the doors of the 27th edition of Intersec at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The date is set, the venue is known, but the message is far greater than a mere event.
Intersec today serves as a pulse check for the security industry – a real test of whether the solutions we have been promised are ready to serve people in practice, not just in theory.
And Dubai remains the most fitting place for such a test – a city that measures technology in numbers, demanding that every innovation prove its tangible impact before earning its trust.
When I review the figures from recent editions, I understand why confidence in this exhibition grows year after year. In 2024, the event recorded 47,509 visitors and the number of exhibitors surged to around 1,100 companies.
This is not mere publicity – it’s a true market movement; a flow of expertise and supply chains being built from Dubai to the world.
Those who walk Intersec’s aisles witness companies transforming their laboratories into ready-to-deploy platforms, while buyers measure value through response time, error rates and lifecycle costs. That is why I always say: Intersec is not a photo exhibition – it’s a decision marketplace.
Those without clear, data-backed arguments will not find a lasting place here.
The 2026 edition will come with larger space and a deeper program. The organisers have already announced thousands of additional square metres, expecting to host over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries and welcome over 50,000 specialised visitors.
The goal is not volume for its own sake – it is to ensure that every security ecosystem finds what it seeks: From detection and response systems to fire protection solutions, to command-and-control platforms and critical communication technologies.
The expansion delivers a simple message – global demand for reliable solutions is rising, operational environments need better integration and Dubai offers a live stage to measure that integration.
“Clarity, integration and viability”
Today, the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA) in Dubai plays a leading role as a strategic partner, firmly believing that technology is a power that must not go unregulated.
Our role is to provide the market with clear standards, transparent certification pathways and open pre-deployment dialogue. That is why the SIRA Forum has become a permanent fixture, bringing together manufacturers, operators and government entities under one roof.
We ask every participant direct questions: How do your solutions reduce false alarms? How do you protect sensitive data? How do you ensure continuity in complex environments? How do you justify your decisions when questioned? This is how trust is built – ensuring that AI remains an understandable tool, not a black box, always serving humanity first.
My vision for 2026 can be summarised in three words: Clarity, integration and viability.
Clarity means every platform must define what it does – and what it doesn’t – with transparent performance figures presented to users before purchase. Integration means uniting systems within one operations room: Analytical video, IoT, access control, communications and cybersecurity.
We do not want isolated technological islands; we want a unified decision matrix that sees the full picture and responds quickly. Viability means calculating cost across the entire lifecycle – purchase, installation, operation, maintenance and upgrade. Any solution that cannot answer these questions with clear data will not achieve responsible certification in Dubai’s ecosystem.
Technology and smart collaboration
On the technological front, the landscape has changed profoundly. The camera is no longer a mere visual sensor, having now become an analytical device transforming scenes into data, identifying behaviour and classifying risks. Video is now searchable text, a source of real-time intelligence.
In modern command rooms, we no longer wait for alerts – we expect platforms to predict them, identify causes and suggest actions. The goal is not to replace humans, but to empower them with better timing and broader insight.
That is where return on investment grows: Fewer false alarms, faster response and reduced resource waste. This is the story Intersec tells every year – and in 2026, it will, God willing, be even more mature and closer to widespread implementation.
The integration of cybersecurity with physical security is no longer optional. Every camera is a connected device; every smart lock, a network node. The threat now comes not only through the door but also through the digital port.
What’s needed today is “zero-trust architecture” within the security infrastructure – no permanent privileges, no unchecked channels, layered defences and regular configuration audits. At Intersec 2026, we will see more solutions closing these gaps, offering unified dashboards that display cyber and physical risks side by side.
This is how surprises are reduced, response readiness is enhanced and investment value is truly measured.
Smart cities do not need isolated tools – they need systems capable of simulating reality before action, minimising impact during emergencies.
The digital twin is no longer a theoretical idea but a training, testing and planning environment – allowing us to see what is invisible in daily operations, placing us in rare scenarios while preserving safety margins.
In Dubai, we look for simulation solutions that train guards and teams through experience rather than instruction. We want trainees to make mistakes safely, not in the streets; to visualise decisions before taking them. Many companies are now ready to deliver this level – and Intersec is their ideal stage to prove it.
Intersec’s importance stems not only from technology but from the smart collaboration it fosters. Here, government meets the market, manufacturers meet operators and standards meet implementation.
That is why I consider Intersec a market of trust before a market of trade. A single Memorandum of Understanding can reshape an entire sector; adopting one unified standard can reduce fragmentation and lower operating costs for decades.
Many such success stories were born in Intersec’s halls, with regulators and with both public and private partners. We value measurable impact and partnerships that endure – because they are built on genuine need.
Looking at Intersec’s record, one understands why we expect another record-breaking edition. Each year adds a new chapter to a well-documented growth story. Official figures confirm the trajectory. Government support remains strong, sponsorship high and sectors are converging more than ever.
In 2026, the exhibition expands to accommodate this convergence – meaning more specialised pavilions, more live platforms and more meetings that compress months of coordination into hours.
In my view, no other event today gives security companies such a real testing ground with serious buyers as Intersec Dubai does. That alone is a practical reason why serious firms prepare early.
What do we expect from companies? The request is simple and clear. We want proof – proof of detection accuracy in real crowd scenarios; data showing reduced false alarms after updates; reasonable maintenance plans that respect user budgets and extend system lifecycles; written explanations on how models handle sensitive data and safeguard user rights of review and deletion; local support that responds in minutes during emergencies, not days.
These are not impossible demands – they are what turn technology from a burden into a blessing and what build reputations that open markets beyond Dubai. Whoever succeeds here, succeeds everywhere.
On a global governance level, we always stand for transparency. We do not add meaningless restrictions, nor do we compromise safety standards for the sake of speed. We seek the delicate balance between society’s right to security and the individual’s right to privacy.
Our duty is to ensure that every solution entering the workplace has passed a fair test and remains accountable for any failure or error. This is the essence of public trust and what everyone must uphold when granting certifications or opening doors to proven innovators.
For us, Intersec is not a public relations event – it is an annual review checkpoint. We measure where we’ve reached and what needs reformulation. We compare promises with results, examine which solutions reduced response times in critical sites and evaluate system performance during outages and peak loads.
We critically identify unnecessary complexity and call for simplicity that enhances reliability.
At this exhibition, we learn as much from failures as from successes, because lessons written clearly save society great costs later. This is Intersec’s true value – one not measured merely by pavilions or conferences.
Vision and understanding
Many will ask: What’s new in the tech world today? My answer: the new thing is understanding. Understanding that AI is not a magic button but a chain of decisions that require clean data, solid infrastructure and trained teams. Understanding that cybersecurity is not an add-on but the backbone of the system.
Understanding that privacy is not an obstacle but a condition that improves data quality in the long run.
And understanding that innovation is not about changing interfaces but about changing the first responder’s experience in the critical minute. These lessons repeat, but they need a solid environment to take root – and Dubai provides that environment with one simple condition: prove your impact and you’ll get your full opportunity.
I conclude with a practical message to our partners. We have a fixed date – three intensive days that can change an entire year’s trajectory for those who prepare well.
Bring your performance data, demonstrate real integrations showing readiness to connect with existing systems, present verifiable success stories and fast-track pilot projects ready for post-show launch.
On our side, we will continue our role as a principal partner – ensuring unified standards, clear certification pathways and responsible discussion platforms. We will ask the tough questions that protect society and support the solutions that respond with data, not slogans.
Ultimately, security is a promise tested every day and Intersec 2026 is the biggest test of that promise in our region. We open a new chapter – for those with clear vision and proven impact, we will stand beside you; for those chasing quick fame, you will learn that Dubai grants its seal only to those who earn it.
This is the compass we follow and the path we walk with our partners – to build a smarter, faster and more trusted security future.
