The importance of Safety in building design across is coming into sharp focus across the GCC, which is currently in the midst of a building boom. The Safety Design in Buildings Conference held at the Intercontinental hotel in Manama, Bahrain recently, focused on vital topics affecting the construction industry in the region including: 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 is 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 a topic of vital importance in the GCC as the region forges ahead with new real estate and infrastructure development projects,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Intersec. “The Safety Design in Building Conference will bring 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 features 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 targets architects, engineers, regulators and related professionals of the construction and contracting industry.

On the conference programme are 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.

After Manama, the conference will also subsequently visit Kuwait, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah and Muscat.