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Forum on smart technologies

Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, announced on Tuesday his department’s full support to host the ‘Smart Border Technology Forum’ on September 24.

The leading regional border security event will discuss the latest technologies in border protection and control. The event will be run in partnership with the international Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC) Middle East.

Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri; Brigadier Obaid Mehayar bin Suroor, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs; and Simon Robins addressing a Press conference on Tuesday about the Smart Border Technology Forum . — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd

“Under the patronage of Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, we will host the Smart Border Technology Forum, which reflects the Ministry of Interior’s determination to become a leader in border protection and control by examining latest technologies and best practices in the field,” said Maj-Gen Al Marri.

It will serve as platform for highlighting the achievements and initiatives of countries in border control, security and management. “Participants will be introduced to new systems such as the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), advanced border imaging screening devices, and border surveillance solutions,” Maj-Gen Al Marri said.

Simon Robins, general manager of the IQPC, said, “According to the latest numbers, Dubai airports have received around 50 million tourists from around the world in 2011. The ‘Smart Border Technology Forum’ will help us over view the latest and most advanced technologies in border protection that the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs had been using over the past year.

“This forum will invite many key speakers to discuss the challenges that we are facing in border protection and the solutions to maintain it,” he said.

Key topics to be discussed at the forum includes the launch of new e-passport technology and automatic e-gates in the UAE; the latest technologies to effectively protect and manage land, air and sea borders; applying best-practice international strategies to facilitate transit services at land, sea and air borders, detect trafficking operations and cross-border crime, combat terrorism and enhance national security; managing, monitoring and tracking movement of people; combating lack of immigration checks for boat crews; evaluating integrated biometric systems; and identifying high-risk migration areas.

ahmedjamal@khaleejtimes.com