UAE hotels step up surveillance
Published: May 9, 2010 16:12 Updated: May 9, 2010 16:12
Hotels throughout the United Arab Emirates are spending millions upgrading security surveillance systems following the assassination earlier this year in Dubai of a leading Hamas leader.
“Working with the co-operation of the police, hotels in Dubai in particular are spending a lot on major upgrades of already extensive security systems, in some cases almost doubling the number of cameras,” said Ray Tinston, sales director of The Hotel Show in a press release.
The hit squad that killed senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh was caught on closed circuit television at a number of hotels in the hours leading up to the murder in January. Video footage of the suspects was later issued by Dubai Police and broadcast worldwide.
“We know from a number of hotel operators that the scale of upgrade taking place since the Dubai incident is on a multi-million dirham basis with one new property alone reporting that it is virtually doubling the number of cameras it is installing to almost 200,” Tinston added. “Installation companies also report the amount of business from hotels increasing by up to 40 percent since the incident. In particular, cameras with better resolutions are being sought for clearer monitoring of entrances, lobbies, corridors and hotel car parks.”
Another recent example of large scale security technology upgrading is the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai which reopened its doors last month following the deadly attack by terrorists in 2008. The hotel’s surveillance system has been upgraded from 15 security cameras prior to the attack to 150 now. Security personnel have also increased by five times.
“Investment in active security systems that include video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection systems and X-ray machines at hotel main entrances is high in the UAE and other Gulf countries compared with many regions,” Tinston said. “The police and government bodies are also keen on ensuring security standards in the UAE remain among the best in the world. For that reason, security cameras in the lobby or public areas and coded access control cards for elevators and rooms alone are not enough in today’s world. There are now very sophisticated danger management systems, similar to those at airports, which a number of owners and investors in the UAE are looking at. The human element is another critically important area in hotel security. There needs to be a clear and effective link between what the security equipment is monitoring and security personnel with the proper training in how to protect guests and assets in real time. Security is an area that no operator or owner can afford to ignore — and not just to protect guests. A serious security breach can significantly damage brand value.”
