The increasing need for a sharper focus on safety standards in building design and the booming construction industry in the GCC as a whole was in focus at the Safety Design in Buildings Conference sponsored by Intersec, which was held at the Intercontinental Muscat recently.

Turning the focus on vital topics affecting the construction industry in the region the speakers at the conference series discussed: building design, evacuation, fire safety, building codes and the current standards of safety in the regional built-up environment.

Organised by Sesam Business Consultants, the conference was sponsored by Intersec - the world’s leading trade fair for security, safety and fire protection. The conference forms part of a GCC-wide initiative to debate and highlight the current standards of safety and security in buildings in the region as well as to promote a dialogue between regional industry professionals and international experts.

“Safety in building design is an increasingly vital topic in our region which has seen an influx of new construction growth both in the private and public sectors," said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Intersec. “The conference brings together a large number of industry stakeholders in a useful and informative forum to discuss current needs and requirements and the latest building safety codes and government regulations.”

“As the leading regional trade gathering for security and safety, Intersec is proud to be an official sponsor of such an important platform that promotes the adoption of the latest building evacuation and safety measures across the GCC,” Pauwels added.

The Safety Design in Buildings Conference featured a high-powered panel of international safety and design experts. Supported by the American Institute of Architects Middle East, the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB), the Society of Facade Engineering (CIBSE) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM Internaitonal), the conference was aimed at a target audience that included architects, engineers, regulators and related professionals of the construction and contracting industry.

On the conference programme were presentations and panel discussions on: Fire and Facades; Access Control and Egress Planning; Phased Evacuation for High Rises; Safety considerations for high rises and super talls; The next level of safety specification standards, as well as other vital fire safety and building design topics of interest to regional construction and safety professionals.

Intersec is the leading international trade fair and conference serving the safety and security industry in the wider MENA region. Intersec 2015, which will take place in Dubai in January, is expected to log record growth, with Epoc Messe Frankfurt expecting more than 1,250 exhibitors from 50 different countries. As many as 300 exhibitors will be making their debuts at Intersec 2015, which is expected to be at least 15% larger than the previous edition.

Intersec is the largest and most international trade fair of Messe Frankfurt’s global network of security and safety exhibitions, which include: Secutech India, Secutech in Taiwan, Secutech Thailand, Intersec Buenos Aires, Secutech Vietnam and Seguriexpo Buenos Aires.