Intersec 2026 will cover 67,000 square metres and will welcome over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. The scale indicates the level of demand; it also conveys a clear message: throughout our sectors, the demand for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and preparedness has reached unprecedented levels.
By: Dishan Isaac, Show Director, Intersec; E-mail: editorial@asmideast.com
As the 27th edition of Intersec approaches this January, attention is increasingly drawn to the significant shifts occurring across the global security, safety, and fire protection sectors. The rapid pace of geopolitical, technological, and environmental changes has intensified, emphasising the industry’s need for clarity, shared purpose, and a renewed commitment to resilience.
Intersec has always been shaped by the people who participate in it. The strategic thinkers, operational experts, innovators, responders, regulators, and industry leaders whose collective expertise defines the trajectory of our fields. This year, however, holds particular significance. The operational environment has undergone substantial changes, and the challenges and opportunities facing us are now more complex, interconnected, and consequential than ever before.
Unifying an Entire Ecosystem
At the core of Intersec is the ability to unify an entire ecosystem. The industries we serve, including commercial security, fire and rescue, emergency response, cybersecurity, health and safety, homeland security, and policing, once operated within clearer boundaries. Today, those boundaries have blurred. No organisation can think in silos, and neither can an event like ours. This reality has shaped the 2026 programme from the ground up, ensuring every feature reflects the interconnected world in which we operate.
The International Security Leaders’ Summit exemplifies one of the most significant platforms within Intersec. It has evolved into a forum where senior leaders address the realities of modern risk, drawing on practical experience rather than theoretical constructs. Discussions on crisis leadership are particularly relevant because they directly address the human aspect of the industry.
This year, we will hear from professionals like David Warham from Dubai Airports, who will bring this into sharp focus. His reflections on preparation, trust, and multi-agency collaboration offer lessons that extend far beyond aviation. The same applies to the voices joining us from national infrastructure, government ministries, global corporations, and academic institutions. These leaders are facing the same pressures many of our visitors encounter: talent shortages, digital convergence, aligning with national strategies, managing cultural complexity, and navigating the realities of AI and quantum technologies.
Strong Growth of the UAE’s Cybersecurity Market
In recent years, cybersecurity has evolved from a specialised discipline to the thread connecting every operational environment. At Intersec, this evolution is captured in the InCyber Briefing, which brings together global and regional specialists to tackle the next wave of digital risk. With the UAE’s cybersecurity market set to grow significantly by 2030, the conversations around supply-chain resilience, AI-powered threats, regulatory complexity, and board-level reporting are not abstract; they are urgent.
Fire and rescue professionals will also find a dedicated space to examine the challenges shaping their sector. Urban density, climate change, new materials, and rising expectations for building safety have all shifted the demands placed on fire services and life-safety specialists. The Fire & Rescue Conference explores AI-enabled fire prediction, evolving fire dynamics, human behaviour under stress, and global case studies that offer invaluable insights into preparedness.
Another defining feature this year is the emphasis on developing the control room of the future. The new Control Room Innovation Theatre demonstrates how AI, cognitive design, and human-centred environments can enhance operator performance and decision-making under pressure.
Of course, Intersec is also a marketplace, one of the largest and most diverse in the world for security, safety, and fire protection solutions. With over 1,400 exhibitors and a strong presence of international pavilions, the show floor is where global innovation becomes accessible. Whether it’s next-generation surveillance, advanced access control, cyber-physical convergence tools, fire-engineering technologies, PPE advancements, or emergency response equipment, the exhibition floor brings together practical solutions with future-focused thinking.
17 Categories of Intersec Awards
Celebrating the people behind these innovations is equally important. The Intersec Awards return this year with 17 categories, our most comprehensive line-up yet, recognising excellence across fire protection, safety, homeland security, commercial security, cybersecurity, consultancy, leadership, and Emirati talent. We have seen an encouraging rise in submissions, a sign that companies and individuals are eager to showcase their contributions to global best practice.
The aim for visitors at Intersec 2026 extends beyond technology and conference sessions. It is to foster clarity amidst prevailing uncertainty. Attendees are encouraged to establish connections with partners they can depend on in the long term. Ultimately, the goal is to leave with reinforced confidence, grounded in understanding and preparedness, and with a shared sense of purpose.
Our industries carry an extraordinary responsibility. We protect what matters most: people, communities, critical infrastructure, national capability, and the trust that underpins our societies. Intersec exists to support that mission.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Dubai World Trade Centre from 12–14 January 2026, and I look forward to shaping the next chapter of global security, safety, and fire protection together.
The Largest Footprint Yet
We operate in a world where complexity is no longer rare; it has become the norm. The rapid pace of technological change, global uncertainty, climate volatility, and converging physical–digital threats are pushing organisations to rethink their approaches to preparation, response, and innovation. In this context, Intersec 2026 has expanded not only in size but also in responsibility. This edition will cover 67,000 square metres, marking our largest footprint yet, and will welcome over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. The scale indicates the level of demand; it also conveys a clear message: throughout our sectors, the demand for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and preparedness has reached unprecedented levels.
