Arab security conference begins in Doha

Under the auspices of HE the Minister of Interior, Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), and Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Police Academy Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the 14th Conference of Heads of Arab Security Training and Rehabilitation Institutions kicked off in Doha Wednesday.Hosted by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Police Academy, the two-day conference is drawing broad participation from representatives of the ministries of interior in the Arab countries, alongside representatives of relevant regional and global organisations and institutions.These organisations are UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South‑West Asia and the Arab Region, Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), Arab Interior Ministers’ Council-General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers.The opening ceremony was attended by HE Legal Adviser to HE the Minister of Interior and General Supervisor of the Police Academy Major General Dr Abdullah Yousef al-Mal, Secretary-General of the Arab Interior Ministers Council Dr Mohammad Ali Kuman, and President of the Police Academy and Chairman of the conference Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahman Majid al-Sulaiti.Addressing the conference, Dr al-Mal said the Police Academy is proud of hosting this event with the participation of a distinguished group of leaders and experts from across the Arab world, alongside partners from specialized international organiSations, convened to exchange expertise and bolster collaboration in training and capacity-building, a fundamental pillar of security and stability.The contemporary security challenges have become more intricate and interlinked, making persistent outstanding training indispensable for capacity-building and helping security personnel keep up with developments and confront risks by proactively leveraging state-of-the-art techniques, Dr al-Mal said.Under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar has given foremost priority to the advancement of education and security training systems, in its belief that enduring security begins from the highly qualified human, he underlined.For his part, Ali Kuman affirmed that the conference convenes in Doha Thursday as part of the tremendous interest Qatar gives to the rehabilitation of Arab security apparatuses to be further capable of fully discharging their duties. He heaped praise on the initiative proffered by the Ministry of Interior in Qatar to allocate two annual scholarships at the Police Academy in the name of the late Arab security luminary HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for students from member states.This move is a gesture that embodies fidelity to the legacy of the architect of Arab security cooperation and reflects an unflagging commitment to providing member states with access to the academy’s elevated level of training and professional excellence, Ali Kuman underlined.Ali Kuman further added that hosting this conference by the academy, along with the field visit to its premises, would be an invaluable opportunity to have a glimpse of this premium level, as long as the academy abounds with outstanding scientific programs.The constructive discussions of the agenda would yield consequential outcomes that strengthen Arab cooperation in the areas of security training and rehabilitation, in support of building the capabilities of Arab security apparatuses to deal with a variety of criminal threats, he highlighted.On the first day, the conference explored a flurry of critical subjects on the agenda, including advancing the technological skills of police and security personnel to combat cybercrimes, a benchmark model plan for preventive security training and qualification, alongside a benchmark model plan for security training and qualification in crisis and emergency management.The Police Academy presented a primer on the Virtual Security Operations Center (vSOC), in implementation of the recommendation issued by the Board of Trustees of the Prince Nayef Arab Security Award to present the award-winning pioneering security programs at the relevant meetings convened under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers.The Police Academy's vSOC in Qatar was awarded first place in the category of pioneering security programs for 2024.The vSOC performs a critical role in conducting virtual security exercises based on advanced simulation systems that mimic realistic and complex security scenarios.It also innovates unconventional remediation solutions, in addition to developing the mechanisms of operationalizing the joint operations chambers among different stakeholders to foster security integration and elevates the readiness of the national response system.