NCT Middle East 2024 took place in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, on 10-11 December at Le Royal Meridien Hotel.
Welcoming 189 delegates from 19 different countries across the Middle East and beyond – including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United States, and Spain – NCT Middle East 2024 consisted of a conference chaired by BG (Ret.) William King and an exhibition featuring over 20 companies. The event was silver sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, Bruker Optik GmbH, DxTerity Diagnostics, Heyl Pharmaceuticals, Kärcher Futuretech GmbH, and Kindeva Drug Delivery.
The event began on 10 December with opening remarks from the Managing Director of NCT Consultants Ilja Bonsen and BG (Ret.) William King, before BG Dr. Rashed Al Marri, Chairman of the Gulf Cooperation Council Emergency Management Center delivered his keynote speech.
In his presentation, BG Dr. Al Marri outlined the main tasks of the GCC Emergency Management Center and discussed the 13 principle risks and threat facing the GCC region, at least four of which can be considered as being of a CBRNE nature.
BG. Dr. Al Marri was followed by Dr. Khalifa Al Kaabi, Head of HAZMAT Preparedness at the UAE’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA). Dr. Al Kaabi discussed strategic frameworks for the national preparedness system against CBRN threats in the UAE.
Elsewhere on day one, Professor John Harrison of Rabdan Academy discussed CBRNE terrorism in the Middle East, and Lt. Abdulrahman Aljanaahi discussed the Dubai Police’s work on applying artificial intelligence in forensics and explosives analysis. Representatives of the silver sponsors Bruker Optik GmbH and Kärcher Futuretech GmbH also gave speeches.
Day one also saw the NCT Tech Tour, during which delegates visited companies exhibiting at the event to learn more about there latest technologies and innovations in the field of CBRNE preparedness.
Day Two
The second day of the conference at NCT Middle East 2024 saw no fewer than 12 speakers spread across four sessions. Dr. Amnah Ibraheem, a Senior Advisor to the Gulf Cooperation Council Emergency Management Center delivered an opening lecture, before Dr. Wedad Al Maidoor of Emirates Health Services, Dr. Zainab Al Hussaini of Saudi National Guard – Health Affairs, and Dr. Ziad Kazzi of Emory University delivered presentations on the medical management of CBRN incidents.
The second session focused on enhancing preparedness against radiological and nuclear threats, and welcomed Dr. Saleh Alrumyan of Saudi Ministry of Health, Prof. Natividad Carpintero-Santamaría of the “Guillermo Velarde” Nuclear Fusion Insitute in Spain, and Dr Bob Terbrueggen, CEO and Founder of DxTerity Diagnostics. Dr Peter Clevestig, representing the EU’s CBRN Centres of Excellence in the UAE, also gave a presentation outlining their work.
The final session focussed on strengthening CBRN interoperability in the Middle East through trainings and outreach. Dr. Aladdin Al Hamdawi of Dubai Police opened the session, after which Col. (Ret.) Jon Drushal of USCENTCOM, Mohammed Aburumman of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and Dr Yasser Issam Sharif of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health gave presentations.
The event was characterized by very many fruitful interactions between engaged and interested delegates from across the Middle East with each other and exhibiting companies, thereby positively contributing to the region’s overall preparedness against CBRNE threats.
NCT Middle East 2025 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 29-30 April in partnership with the General Directorate of Civil Defense of Saudi Arabia.
NCT Consultants
The NCT events and trainings are organized by NCT Consultants, a defense and security company with 12 years of international experience, based in Leiden, the Netherlands. The company contributes to warfighters’ and first responders’ missions and capabilities to counter the threats of weapons of mass destruction and mitigate their effects. NCT Consultants connects businesses, governments, and NGOs by providing knowledge and networking, training, and assisting in building global partner capacities and partnerships.
The flagship activities of NCT Consultants are the NCT annual events in Europe, the USA, South America, the Asia Pacific region, and the Middle East. Built on strong cooperation with government partners, the regional NCT events are the leading CBRNE, C-IED, EOD, and demining event series in the world with around 250-400 participants per edition.
NCT Consultants is present in three continents with companies based in the Netherlands, USA, and Singapore, and since October 2024 has a regional office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
