SMARt Awards

Recognising innovation and best practice: The inaugural SecurMiddleEast Awards for Excellence in Technology (or SMARt awards for short) were launched at Intersec 2022 in Dubai and recognised four outstanding firms for their contribution to the industry: Al-Saher International, DATOS, Earth One Technology and Consquare Consultancy. The awards were conceived by Intelligent Security Systems ISS, along with its partners Intel and Dell/BCD and in partnership with Security Middle East magazine.

The idea for the awards first came about from a seed of an idea conceived by Intelligent Security Systems ISS, along with its partners Intel and Dell/BCD and in partnership with Security Middle East magazine. Conversations between representatives of each company soon led to the conclusion that there was a huge gap in the industry – there were no forums where innovation was at the centre of discussion and best practices were celebrated.

From those initial talks the idea for the SecurMiddleEast Symposium was born – a series of events that launched in 2021. The series brought together by invitation only senior end users, first-tier integrators and thought leaders for a unique forum to exchange ideas and experiences. Last year saw the symposium land in Dubai and Riyadh and was exceptionally well received – with five more events set to take place in the region this year.

But, as Aluisio Figueiredo, Chief Executive of ISS, explains there was still more to be done: “From the very beginning we decided that recognition of excellence was paramount. With all the myths and false promises swirling around security solutions, it was without question important to salute those end users and integrators who had taken the time not just to innovate but to ensure successful implementation of advanced technologies. Thus the SecurMiddleEast Awards for Excellence in Technology was born.”

Security Middle East magazine is delighted to be supporting excellence in the region and to be involved in SecurMiddleEast as a way to promote best practice and innovation within the industry. Mike Dingle, Group Director of Security Middle East said of the launch of the SMARt awards: “As a leading platform for the region’s security industry, it is important that we take time to recognise excellence and innovation while also creating a forum to exchange knowledge and ideas.

“After the doom and gloom of the pandemic, a conversation around the symposium started and we jumped at the opportunity to shine the light on excellent contributions to the security market in the middle east region. Following a successful launch in 2021, Security Middle East magazine is extremely excited to drive these events and awards to the forefront of the region’s industry in 2022 and beyond.”

At the first-ever awards four outstanding firms were celebrated and recognised for the innovative ways they work and their dedication to always looking to advance security best practices. Those firms were: Al-Saher International, DATOS, Earth One Technology and Consquare Consultancy.