Monday: 6 June 2011:
UAE proposes unified strategy for civil aviation security in GCC states
In the 25th meeting of chiefs of airports security in the GCC member states, the United Arab Emirates made a proposal to set up a unified strategy for the civil aviation security in the GCC member states.
The three-day meeting which began on Monday at the Al Raha Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi was chaired by Brigadier Pilot Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, director of the Directorate General of Airports Security at Dubai Police and Colonel Musabbah Al Marar, director of Ports and Airports Security Police at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ.
Bin Thani also made a speech at the opening session in which he made clear that the proposed strategy will set the guidelines and future plans for the civil aviation security in the GCC Arab states.
He added that such strategy comes in accordance with a clear-cut vision, and well-studied and methodical goals which are measurable and can be constantly re-assessed through a working team assigned with conducting necessary studies and research in this respect, provided that this team should be made up of all concerned security departments of the airports of GCC Arab states.
Further, he pointed out that the meeting comes as a completion of the efforts made by the GCC Arab states to upgrade the criteria of the aviation security, and create a working environment that effectively contribute to experience exchange.
Major General Abdullah bin Mohammed Kasnawi, director of Airports Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, delivered a speech in which he extended thanks and appreciation to the UAE for hosting the meeting and good organization.
He made clear that such above-mentioned efforts aim at familiarizing concerned personnel with the state-of-the-art techniques to bring about quantum leaps in the domain of aviation and airport security.
Bin Thani said that, "changes and variables on the international arena resulted in many new security challenges and requirements, a thing which requires us to set necessary plans that ensure sustainable modernization of measures related to aviation and airports security." Then, participants held the first working session in which they mulled a number topics on the agenda including a discussion of the working paper presented by the UAE on multi-phase search of luggage at the Emirati airports, besides the security tagging system which is currently applied at Dubai International Airport in order to boost the measures of cargo security.
The gathering also made a decision on holding training courses at Dubai Civil Aviation Security Regional Center, and making visit to an advanced country in this field.
The GCC Airport Security Chiefs are to continue their meetings tomorrow for the second consecutive day with holding two working sessions, one at morning, and the other by night, in order to complete discussing topics on the agenda.