On the sidelines of Milipol Qatar 2021, specialised seminars began on Tuesday, with the participation of experts in security and civil protection.
In a seminar devoted to civil defence, Qatar's General Directorate of Civil Defence presented its experience in the field, highlighting its efforts in securing World Cup 2022 facilities and developing its operations according to the highest international standards.
Captain Mohamed Ali al-Suwaidi, from the Civil Defence Operations Department, affirmed the department's readiness for the 2022 World Cup, stating that the goal of operations department is to protect individuals, public and private properties from the dangers of various fires and disasters, ensuring regular workflow in vital facilities and installations, and protecting wealth, part of which is World Cup 2022 facilities.
He pointed out that security and safety requirements have been provided in the facilities that will host the tournament activities, including stadiums, residential headquarters and celebration areas in accordance with international standards, in addition to providing the necessary equipment at these sites and installations, adding that the General Directorate of Civil Defence has witnessed an important development in recent years in various aspects, which enabled it to develop operations to respond to accidents of all kinds, such as rescue accidents, fires, hazardous materials accidents and special services accidents.
Captain al-Suwaidi also revealed that the General Directorate of Civil Defence recorded 8,171 accidents last year and that its response time to these incidents was only about 7 minutes.
For his part, Engineer Khalifa al-Dossary, from the Prevention Department at the General Directorate of Civil Defence, noted the efforts to spread awareness of civil protection and graduate specialised cadres in this field, pointing out to plans to teach civil defence at the College of Engineering at Qatar University and to provide training programmes for students at the General Directorate.
A presentation on the foundations of scientific fire risk analysis was also given during the seminar by Captain Engineer Abdulrahman Sultan al-Ghanim from the General Administration of Civil Defence.
Another seminar on cyber threats saw the participation of representatives of a number of technology, communications and information companies participating in Milipol Qatar 2021.
It addressed the current reality of cyber threats, their risks and complexities, and their implications for the security and stability of countries, as well as their implications for the global economy.
Participants stressed the importance of providing adequate infrastructure to achieve the highest levels of safety and protection for entities, institutions and companies, through qualified human cadres, and advanced systems to confront cyber attacks and reduce their damages and repercussions, calling for international co-operation to confront these new challenges related to cyber attacks and piracy due to their seriousness and expansion.
They asserted that all countries, without exception, are exposed to such risks.
The program of seminars accompanying the Milipol Qatar 2021 includes vital topics such as civil defence, cybersecurity, cyber threats, and managing the security of major events. (QNA)
