2014 Perspectives: Hesham Fouad on Security

Communications Engineer and Chairperson of HF Giza Systems Hesham Fouad talks about the state of security in 2014 and what to expect in 2015

 

By Omneya Makhlouf 

  What is HF Fire’s most successful project in 2014 in Egypt?   Our most successful project of 2014 in Egypt has been New Dar El Fouad Hospital in Nasr City; however, it is still under construction. We won the supply and implementation contract for the fire alarm system of the project, which is one of the largest ongoing projects in Egypt since it contains over 4,000 addressable points.   Have there been any particular trends in Egypt’s levels of security before and after Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi became president?   President Al-Sisi has pushed for higher security measures and the implementation of fast methods of incident verification and deployment, especially after the revolutions of 2011 and 2013.   Additionally, the huge expansive projects that we are starting to see him and his administration push for, such as the new Suez Canal and the new north coast, have created multiple opportunities for investors and businesses to flourish with the government’s new strategy to emphasize upon life safety and security.   What are the implications of such trends? Has the security sector flourished since then?   These trends have certainly had a positive impact on the life safety and security business in Egypt since fire alarm systems have become mandatory for all commercial buildings and one of the most prominent solutions addressing everyday security requirements is video surveillance.   As a private entity, how close does HF Giza Systems work with the Egyptian government?   We work with the Egyptian government on multiple fronts, especially the oil and gas sector and the telecom sector, most recently we have commissioned the new financial supervisory authority building in smart village and the general authority for investment building in Nasr City’s free zone.   What are the prospects for security in Egypt in 2015?   Generally, with the continuation of the current trends and the more stable the economic and investment fronts become in Egypt, the higher the prospect and boom of life safety and security. Especially with the increasing adaptation of new technologies to enhance everyday public services and law enforcement such as the Cairo city surveillance system that will complement traffic management and control services.