Demand for video surveillance and video data infrastructure solutions in the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Turkey (MERAT) region is strong. To tell us more about the key growth opportunities, we caught up with Wael Noureddine, our new Regional Sales Director for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, East Africa & Levant.
Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Noureddine brings over 15 years of experience within the security, surveillance, IoT and IT sectors. Prior to joining BCD, Noureddine spent six years at Dell EMC as the Regional Sales Manager, in which he established the Security and Surveillance division in KSA, where he rapidly developed and grew the security business throughout the Kingdom and supported customers during their transformation journey.
Here are some key insights we learned from our conversation with Noureddine.
What do you think the business trends are going to be through the end of 2022?
The main business trend for 2022 is smart cities. Fifty percent of the population lives in cities and that percentage is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. There will be a definite need to use smart technologies to manage resources’ environmental and economic sustainability in the growing urban environment. Many countries in the Middle East region started adopting the concept of a smart city to optimize city functions and generate economic growth, while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis. IoT, edge computing, analytics, AI and machine learning are key pillars and enablers of a smart city, as different types of sensors collect real-time data, which is then analyzed and communicated to decision-makers to take necessary actions to improve operations, manage assets and improve the quality of city life for residents. With data increasingly being captured, stored, and secured at the edge as part of the smart city solution, cybersecurity also becomes more of an essential requirement for protection against cyber-attacks. Storage will also continue to evolve as the data generated by edge devices and cameras eventually will be sent to a final storage repository located on-prem or in the cloud.
How much will the pandemic continue to have an impact on business in your region?
At the beginning of the pandemic, there were numerous negative impacts on businesses, and many customers had suspended their plans and business activities until they understood what was next. However, most customers and businesses realized that the pandemic could last for many years, and they must go ahead with their plans to achieve their goals. Customers have adopted the remote work model and have become used to virtual meetings, workshops and events. With that said, many of them returned physically to their worksite.
What new or existing security technology will be the most impactful in your region?
Without a doubt, it’s video analytics. Customers today want to leverage surveillance systems for more than just capturing video footage. They are looking for intelligent technology that transforms the video footage into data that is searchable, actionable and quantifiable, enabling them to pinpoint objects, people, faces, vehicles, and behaviors of interest, as well as to make swift decisions based on reliable and detailed information.
What events over the next 18 months are you planning on attending, and will that have a huge impact in your region?
BCD is keen to participate in the top security/IT events that are held annually in the Middle East and Africa region. We look forward to meeting our customers and partners at the following events: