* Organisers say event a huge success, next edition in October 2020
* Deals worth QR527.5mn signed by MoI
* Number of visitors increase by 39% compared to 2016
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani visited the 12th International Event for Homeland Security and Civil Defence (Milipol Qatar 2018) at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre Wednesday to learn about the latest technologies and global defence and security industries.
As the exhibition concluded Wednesday, it was revealed that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) signed deals worth more than half a billion Qatari riyals at the event, covering different sectors such as security, information and services, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
During his visit, the Amir toured the pavilions and sections of the exhibition, which witnessed the participation of several international companies and others from Qatar. He reviewed the latest products of these companies in the field of safety, defence and internal security, especially cyber security and security management of major events, communications software, airport security systems and others.
His Highness the Amir visited several sections of the MoI and the pavilion of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) He was also briefed on the command and control unit of Hamad Medical Corporation as well as a number of security, safety and surveillance applications designed by young Qataris for individuals and institutions.
The Amir was accompanied by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Milipol Qatar Committee president Maj Gen Nasser bin Fahad al-Thani gave out details of the event at a press conference in the presence of Brigadier Saud Rashid al-Shafi, member of the Milipol Qatar Committee and assistant director-general of the General Directorate of Logistics at the MoI, and Michael Weatherseed, Milipol events director.
The Milipol Qatar Committee president said the expo held under the auspices of His Highness the Amir was a great success and the 13th edition of Milipol Qatar will be held from October 26-28, 2020.
He informed that a total of 8,487 people visited the exhibition, marking an increase of 39% compared to 2016. Also, the 12th edition was spread over an area that was 30% larger than in 2016, while 352 reporters from different parts of the world covered the event.
Weatherseed said the 2018 edition of the expo achieved huge success, as revealed by key statistics related to the event, including the total value of contracts signed by the MoI - QR527.5mn.
Also during the press conference, Brig al-Shafi said the last contracts signed for the MoI during the expo were a deal worth QR48mn with a company working in the field of cyber security and another worth QR20mn with Diyar Al Sharq Al Awsat, an information security firm.
Brig al-Shafi also informed that the first contract signed Wednesday - worth QR9.36mn - was signed with Ideal Solutions for importing and fixing vehicle tracking devices and their maintenance. Mannai Trading Company bagged a contract worth QR92.5mn for preparing infrastructure and upgrading vocal communication systems and technical support for Cisco systems, the MoI said in a press statement.
The third contract, worth QR3.1mn, was signed with Orbis Systems for upgrading document reading and iris-scan based attendance systems, while the fourth contract with GET Group worth QR20.7mn was for importing ID cards for expatriates as well as driving licences and their components.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen al-Thani said 222 exhibitors from 24 countries, including seven new countries - Greece, India, Latvia, Morocco, Russia, Slovenia and Switzerland - participated in the event. There were five international pavilions featuring the UK, Germany, Italy, France and North America as well as one on Qatar. A total of 90 companies took part in the exhibition.
A number of ministers and deputy ministers, police chiefs, undersecretaries, Gendarmerie commanders, representatives of ministries and high-ranking security chiefs from brotherly and sisterly countries attended the exhibition, he added.
