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 27^th 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.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026, the world’s leading exhibition for AV and systems integration, returns to Barcelona from 3-6 February with a bold new theme: “Push Beyond.” This year’s event is more than a trade show – it’s a unique opportunity to engage with the technologies, strategies, and thought leaders shaping the future of security operations.

By: Charlotte Theobald-Park, PR Coordinator, Integrated Systems Events; E-mail: ctheobaldpark@iseurope.org

One of ISE’s defining megatrends for 2026 is Cybersecurity. These are environments where safeguarding critical infrastructure and public services against cyber threats has become paramount. At ISE 2026, you’ll discover how the cybersecurity ecosystem is pushing beyond boundaries to deliver intelligent, resilient, and secure systems that are equipped to protect public sector operations and ensure ongoing well-being amidst evolving digital threats.

The CyberSecurity Summit: Confronting Urgent Threats

New for 2026, the CyberSecurity Summit on 5 February is a must-attend for anyone responsible for securing public sector systems. As AV and IT infrastructures become more interconnected, the risks of ransomware, data breaches, and denial-of-service attacks grow. The Summit brings together leading voices from across Europe and beyond, including regulatory authorities, technical experts, and industry innovators, to share strategies for compliance, resilience, and proactive defense.

The program will feature key sessions that address navigating emerging regulations such as NIS2 and ISO 270001, alongside strategies for building cyber resilience across smart buildings, transport systems, and public venues. Attendees will gain insight from real-world case studies focused on protecting critical infrastructure, and participate in roundtables dedicated to compliance, governance, and best practices. The expertise of professionals from the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia, TÜV SÜD, and Veolia España will enrich these discussions. For government technology leaders, this is a rare chance to benchmark strategies, network with peers, and leave with a roadmap for adapting to the evolving threat landscape.

Control Rooms Summit: Resilient, Human-Centric Operations

On 4 February, the Control Rooms Summit explores how mission-critical environments – from emergency response centers to city transport networks – are being transformed by advanced AV/IT integration, AI-driven analytics, and ergonomic design. The focus is on resilience: ensuring uptime, empowering operators, and building trust in the systems that underpin public safety and service delivery.

The sessions will emphasize the integration of AV/IT systems to provide actionable insights and facilitate rapid response in mission-critical environments. They will explore how artificial intelligence and automation can be leveraged to enable proactive, human-centered decision-making, ensuring that operators are equipped with the tools needed to anticipate and address evolving challenges. Additionally, there will be a strong focus on designing control rooms that prioritize operator well-being, foster collaboration, and support continuous improvement. To enrich these discussions, case studies and expert panels featuring industry leaders from the International Critical Control Rooms Alliance will be presented, offering real-world perspectives and practical solutions.

Smart Buildings and Secure Infrastructure

ISE 2026 also features the Smart Building Summit, addressing the cybersecurity challenges of modern facilities management. As government buildings become smarter and more connected, the risks and opportunities multiply. Sessions will cover securing IoT devices, implementing layered security, and managing the dual-edged nature of AI in building operations.

Unparalleled Networking and Innovation

With over 1,600 exhibitors and a global audience representing more than 160 countries, ISE 2026 offers an unrivalled opportunity to explore the latest advancements in AV, IT, and integrated systems. Government professionals will have the chance to engage directly with technology providers and innovators, experiencing hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge products and solutions first-hand. Attendees can also participate in carefully curated tours, interactive workshops, and a variety of networking events designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. Furthermore, exclusive content will be available, covering key megatrends such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and sustainability, ensuring that participants gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of government technology.

As the digital and physical worlds converge, the imperative for government leaders is clear: to Push Beyond traditional boundaries, embrace innovation, and build the secure, resilient systems that underpin public trust and national wellbeing.

With registration for ISE 2026 now open, it’s time to secure your place among the visionaries and decision-makers shaping the future of government technology. Register for FREE using code ‘asadria’ at www.iseurope.org/welcome/registration.

MIBA–Milan International Building Alliance, the event held at Fiera Milano from 19 to 22 November, concluded an edition marked by rising figures and strong content dynamism: 1,369 exhibitors and 85,000 visitors from 112 countries, a 5% increase compared to 2023, confirm the progressive consolidation of the format as a European benchmark platform for professionals in the built environment.

By: Mariagrazia Scoppio, Media Relations, Communication Department, Fiera Milano; E-mail: mariagrazia.scoppio@fieramilano.it

Four events together – MADE expo, SMART BUILDING EXPO, SICUREZZA and GEE – Global Elevator Exhibition – offered an opportunity for updates on technologies, materials, solutions, and regulations for professionals involved in various ways in the evolution of buildings and cities: from the world of construction and architecture to systems engineering and technologies that ensure services, accessibility, and security.

Three themes guided the dialogue among companies, professionals, institutions, and the research community: sustainability, energy and digital transition, and training. These themes not only define the sector’s priorities, but also outline the roadmap for the transformation awaiting our cities and the very way we live in and design spaces.

The debate on sustainability ran across all four events, with particular focus on the tools that can provide tangible support in achieving the European goals set by the green buildings directive.

“The path pursued by MIBA fully embraces the spirit of the New European Bauhaus, the European Commission initiative that calls for rethinking the built environment by combining sustainability, aesthetic quality, and inclusion.” –  states Niccolò Aste, Professor of Architecture and Construction Engineering and Built Environment at the Politecnico di Milano – “With the Made Sustainable Prize (SusPrize), we wanted to translate this approach into a concrete experience capable of highlighting projects that demonstrate how innovation can be simultaneously beautiful, responsible, and deeply rooted in the needs of communities. In this context, the awarded excellences clearly show us that today’s trend is towards a conscious aesthetics that sacrifices neither material quality nor social quality. Regenerated living spaces, sustainable materials, architectures with strong community value: all of this is not ‘niche’ but represents a development model that can become mainstream. SusPrize aims to be a beacon: an invitation to anyone with a vision – artisans, start-ups, architects, companies – to dare, experiment, and reimagine the everyday. I believe this is the right direction to build a future in which excellence is not a privilege, but a common good”.

At the same time, the energy and digital transition emerged as a strategic lever for renewing the sector. From integrated design to intelligent energy systems, from digital platforms to new monitoring and management models, MIBA provided a forum for discussion on the solutions reshaping the entire life cycle of the built environment.

“Efficiency, electrification, and digitalization of the building stock are crucial challenges for the country and require addressing issues that have so far been underestimated, such as the inadequacy of electrical systems. In this scenario, MIBA has proven to be not only an exhibition showcase but also a laboratory of ideas capable of fostering innovation, safety, and sustainability. The hope is that the dialogue initiated here becomes the starting point for strengthening what is fundamental for Prosiel: establishing a more robust dialogue among supply chain stakeholders to build a system, sharing a common strategic vision, initiating constructive engagement with institutions, and promoting communication capable of making even non-experts understand the strategic value of this transformation. We must accelerate: safe, digital, and sustainable buildings are not only an environmental choice, but also an economic and social one” – states Roberto Martino, President of Prosiel.

This evolution concerns not only tools but also the design and operational culture of companies and their professionals. For this reason, with a global offering of more than 100 conferences and seminars, MIBA placed great emphasis on professional training, which is considered essential for supporting the sector’s transformation. The ongoing evolution of technologies serving buildings – especially in sensitive sectors such as security – now requires increasingly specialized professional profiles capable of assessing the most suitable technological solutions for each application context.

“To provide an adequate level of security in cultural venues, it is essential to invest in training and foster constant dialogue between security professionals and cultural heritage operators.” – states Carlo Hruby, Vice President of the Enzo Hruby Foundation – “At SICUREZZA, we wanted to reaffirm the value of academic education by presenting the Advanced Training Course in Cultural Security Management, developed with the University of Pavia. This program represents a real breakthrough, establishing for the first time in Italy the formal role of the Cultural Security Manager: a professional trained in the use of the most advanced technologies and their integration, capable of achieving a high level of protection while optimizing the management and enhancement of cultural sites and the assets they house.”

MIBA looks forward to welcoming everyone to the next edition, from 17 to 19 November 2027 at Fiera Milano.

As the UAE’s cybersecurity market rapidly expands from US$620 million in 2024 to a projected US$1.29 billion by 2030, driven by AI security analytics, Zero Trust architecture, and robust government initiatives, Intersec 2026’s InCyber Briefing will outline critical insights into the evolving digital threat landscape and the governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

According to ResearchAndMarkets, the UAE cybersecurity market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a combination of digital transformation initiatives, rising cyber threats, and strong government support for digital infrastructure, including the formation of the UAE National Cybersecurity Strategy and the establishment of entities such as the Cybersecurity Council. These initiatives are seen as a major growth catalyst, with the research indicating the sector will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8% until 2030.

Part of the 27th edition of Intersec, taking place from 12–14 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the InCyber Briefing is tailored for CISOs, cybersecurity strategists, and digital risk leaders navigating unprecedented technological acceleration with a focus on practical tools and real-world frameworks addressing AI governance, post-quantum readiness, supply chain resilience, and cyber risk reporting.

A highlight of the InCyber Briefing will be a keynote session by Luqman Kondeth, Director of Cybersecurity at New York University Abu Dhabi, titled “The Oracle in the System: A Village Parable for Governing AI.” As part of the session, Kondeth will translate the complexities of AI governance into practical lessons in trust, oversight and responsible innovation.

“In the story, the Village Head must keep his people alive through uncertainty, balancing resources, risk, and innovation. When he introduces an Oracle, a brilliant but unpredictable tool, he faces the same dilemma we face with AI: how to benefit from its intelligence without surrendering judgment. By watching how the Head sets rules, validates predictions, and keeps humans in the loop, audiences see governance not as compliance paperwork, but as collective wisdom made systematic,” said Kondeth.

Addressing the critical concern in AI deployment of accurate predictions versus hallucination, Kondeth emphasised that while governance frameworks can’t eliminate risk, they play a vital role in defining accountability and awareness. He said:

“We must build systems, or ‘three lines of defence’: operations teams who test AI in controlled conditions, risk and compliance teams who measure accuracy and bias, and internal auditors who verify the rules were followed.”

Outlining what the future of AI governance will look like in practice, Kondeth believes it will feel less like regulation and more like infrastructure, and embedded into design and decision pipelines in the same way cybersecurity and privacy are today.

“AI governance needs to be continuous, integrated, and human-centred. We’re moving toward AI control rooms that constantly monitor model behaviour, supported by ongoing risk assessments rather than periodic reviews. Because AI will operate as both a tool and a service across the enterprise, close alignment with Enterprise Architecture is essential. Ultimately, governance must remain adaptive – measuring not just performance, but trust, accountability, and societal impact,” concluded Kondeth.

In addition to the one-day InCyber Briefing, leading management consulting firm and Intersec Strategic Intelligence Partner, Kearney, will host a closed-door roundtable titled “Defending the Digital Backbone: Securing National Infrastructure in the Era of AI and Hybrid Threats.” Based on the discussion, Kearney will produce a white paper on the session that explores how governments can move beyond reactive defence toward proactive, intelligence-driven resilience, integrating policy, technology, and ecosystem collaboration to safeguard critical assets.

Dishan Isaac, Show Director of Intersec at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “AI, automation, and digitisation are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. The InCyber Briefing equips decision-makers with the foresight, frameworks, and leadership strategies needed to govern AI ethically and effectively while securing their organisations against emerging threats.”

With over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries and an expected 50,000 visitors, Intersec 2026 will be the largest edition in its 27-year history, spanning 67,000 sqm of exhibition space under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and supported by the General Command of Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) and Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA).