Dale R. Davis, managing director of Global Strategies Group (Middle East) FZE, will describe the measures introduced by his company since it took over security at the airport in 2004. Today 540 flights take off each month, compared with virtually zero three years ago, and over 40,000 vehicles enter the airport perimeter.

Mr. Davis is speaking at the Aviation Security Middle East conference, organised by Streamline Marketing Group, which takes place for the first time of May 30. The conference runs alongside the annual Airport Show running from May 28 - 30 in Airport Expo Dubai. Speakers will include aviation security chiefs, specialists and consultants from across Europe, India, Middle East and the US.

The presentation on Baghdad International Airport will outline how Global Strategies Group secured an airport heavily exposed to threat, to enable uninterrupted trade and travel, safeguard passengers, crew, staff and cargo and upgrade the security level, achieving international civil aviation organisation standards. A key part of the company's plan is the training and development of local Iraqi personnel and currently 450 Iraqis are working on the project.

"Global Strategies Group has an incredible story to tell about the on-going transformation of Baghdad international airport and the progress made to build local capacity in the aviation security sector in one of the most challenging locations in the world," says Davis "Without a doubt the story of our accomplishments, which have been achieved in cooperation and coordination with the government of Iraq, will be extremely insightful and useful"

Other speakers at the conference will include Malcolm Nance, director of Special readiness services international (SRSI) a Washington DC-based counter-terrorism consultancy. He will highlight the vulnerabilities of airports, aircraft and passengers to a wide range of catastrophic terrorist tactics implemented before the aircraft leave the ground. The latest technologies for passenger screening, profiling and in-hold baggage screening will also be discussed by a panel of international aviation security experts.

"This is a good opportunity for aviation security officials throughout the region to get together to discuss the latest issues and find out about the newest technology applications for airport security," says brigadier pilot Ahmad Mohammed Bin Thani, director general of airport security "The aviation industry across the Middle East is booming and here in Dubai we are seeing the rapid growth of Dubai international airport and also the new airport development in Jebel Ali. It is vital that we have access to the best security systems on the market, whether it be screening and X-ray equipment, CCTV or other general security technology"

Since its inception in 2001, the airport show has become established as a major forum for the selection and pre-qualification of suppliers for airport development projects not only in the Gulf area but also across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the CIS countries.