Why Protecting Security Personnel Matters as Saudi Arabia Builds a World-Class Events Industry

The events schedule in Saudi Arabia is expanding at a rate that is hard for most markets to equal. Riyadh Season has drawn in over 20 million visitors within one year, and conferences and exhibitions are now held continuously throughout the country for most of the year. As part of Vision 2030, events have been made a national priority, and this is evident in the number of new venues and the expansion of the exhibition halls.

The security staff who are responsible for keeping the public and the performers safe are behind each of those events. As the sector grows larger, the pressure on those who carry out the management on the ground increases, and their own safety should be given the same consideration as the events they are guarding. The following examination looks into the source of that pressure and explores how training and equipment can alleviate it.

A Fast-Growing Sector with Bigger Demands

As stated by Arab News, Saudi Arabia is among the fastest-growing business event markets in the G20, having held over 17,000 business events in one year, a record for the region. Additionally, more than one million square metres of new venue space is also scheduled to be available by 2030. Such rapid growth results in larger crowds and a greater need for security teams to deal with more complex venues. During a single festival or conference, thousands of attendees can go through checkpoints and move through crowded halls for several hours continuously. Security staff have to remain alert the whole time and have to make quick decisions on the basis of limited information, often while helping to ease a tense situation. It is precisely the scale that makes the industry so remarkable that it also sets a higher standard for protecting the frontline workers who are responsible for keeping it going.

Giving Frontline Teams Better Tools

The importance of training and staffing levels should not be overlooked, just as the security equipment carried by the staff is important. Body cameras provide frontline staff with a video record of an interaction as it is happening, and their presence usually has the effect of calming a difficult situation. For those personnel who work long shifts in crowded areas, the record also enables the event organisers to get a better understanding of what took place during an incident than the conflicting accounts that are assembled later on.

Training Still Comes First

Nothing can take the place of well-trained staff. Although cameras and other devices can assist the security team in making decisions, it is the fundamental abilities needed to assess a crowd and to identify the early signs of trouble that form the basis of safe event management. Effective security operations combine thorough training with technology that reinforces proper practices. By taking part in regular exercise scenarios, such as crowd surges and medical emergencies, staff develop the judgement required to know when to de-escalate a situation and when to request backup. Staff members who work at different venues also benefit from a standard briefing procedure, enabling every team to begin their shift with the same understanding of the site.

A Calendar That Keeps Expanding

Our events calendar currently shows over 100 events taking place in Riyadh alone, including conferences and exhibitions of all kinds, each of which has specific security requirements determined by the venue and the audience. Since the schedule is so full, security teams seldom have a long period without being assigned new duties, and therefore the tools and support available to them must keep up with the level of demand.

Protecting Attendees Starts with Protecting Staff

The extent to which security personnel are supported affects how safe an event appears to the attendees. When teams are well trained and are properly equipped, they are able to manage crowds calmly and deal with incidents more quickly. Visitors perceive this composure even if they don't understand why the event seems to be run so professionally. The organisers also gain an advantage since there are fewer disputes that remain unresolved and the records of incidents are clearer, which in turn makes the post-event reviews easier.

Building an Events Industry That Lasts

Saudi Arabia aims to build an events industry renowned for both quality and consistency, and that reputation will depend on the people working behind the scenes to ensure that each event is safe. Just as with the new venues and the record attendance numbers, training and equipment for those teams should be included in the same account. In order to have a world-class events industry, it is necessary to have a workforce that feels adequately supported to achieve it.