Milipol Qatar show gets under way

 HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve at the opening of the Milipol Qatar expo at Doha Exhibitions Centre yesterday.  PICTURES: Jayan Orma and Shaji Kayamkulam

The 10th Milipol Qatar Exhibition got off to a rousing start at Doha Exhibitions Centre yesterday as hundreds of visitors from across the region’s states flocked to the venue and visited the pavilions showcasing security equipment and solutions.At the opening ceremony of the event, held under the patronage of HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani formally cut a ribbon to mark the inauguration.French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, Oman’s Interior Minister Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al-Busaidi, Azerbaijan’s Minister for Emergency Solutions Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov were among others present.Qatar’s Transport Minister HE Jassem bin Saif bin Ahmed al-Sulaiti, Director General of Public Security HE Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi, Qatari Armed Forces Chief of Staff HE Major General Ghanim bin Shaheen al-Ghanim and senior security officials from neighbouring countries also attended the opening ceremony.While speaking to the media at the opening HE the Prime Minster and Minster of Interior recalled the growing levels of co-operation between Qatar’s Interior ministry and France in organising the Milipol Qatar expo.Qatar is the result of co-operation between Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and France.The Prime Minister also praised the participation of a large number of widely acclaimed companies working in the security and defence areas in this year’s exhibition.French Interior Minister Cazeneuve said the Milipol Qatar exhibition was a different one as it is held alternatively in Doha and Paris. He added that French companies have been allowed to showcase their development in security at all levels as it is a symbol of technological progress that the two countries wanted to achieve.Also speaking Qatar Transport Minister HE Jassem bin Saif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said this exhibition had much more to offer than all the previous editions.  Major General Saad bin Jassim al- Khulaifi expressed happiness that there is a significant growth in the total space occupied by the exhibitors at this year’s expo compared to the previous editions.HE Major General al-Ghanim observed that the exhibition has become a major attraction in the field of the latest security technology in the Middle East.