Everbridge control center deployed by G4S to accelerate the digital transformation of physical security in Abu Dhabi Global Market Square
Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace (ADGMS), located on Al Maryah Island in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, is a large-scale and architecturally compelling shopping and hotel hub. Many of the world’s most prestigious companies inhabit the buildings in the award-winning financial center. The Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace ADGMS also hosts frequent international dignitaries and large-scale public events, including the Abu Dhabi National New Year’s Fireworks display. Abu Dhabi Global Market Square was the first project in the United Arab Emirates to achieve LEED Core and Shell (LEED-CS) Gold pre-certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace (ADGMS) includes: 450,000 m² of office space, a lavish commercial section and luxury business hotel offers, 4 Category A commercial office towers with 30 floors each, 4 km of waterfront promenade, more than 2,000 cameras, and more than 1,000 doors. Unconnected Security Systems and Situational Awareness Gaps Due to its iconic status, Abu Dhabi’s global marketplace faces many unique security challenges, including: Political pressure – Due to status from ADGMS and frequent high-level international visitors, any disruption to operations – be it natural disasters, activism, terror or other critical events could cause problems nationwide. VIP Protection – Regular visits by prestigious VIPs, such as Sheikhs, Royal Family and global business leaders, increase security risks and the need for management protection. Discreet Security – ADGMS is a public space with rented office space, which means security must be robust, yet discreet, and comply with all global data and privacy regulations. Physical Location – Being located on an island is an additional security risk, complicating the ability to enter and exit space, during planned and unplanned critical events or emergencies. Architecture – ADGMS buildings are mostly glass, with many levels, making them difficult to secure. Previously, a number of systems were deployed to contribute to the safety and protection of people, such as video surveillance, access control, fire detection and building management. However, these were not connected and left gaps in situational awareness, which ADGMS deemed unacceptable. In light of the above challenges, ADGMS building managers considered it essential to strengthen security, in the marketplace, inside these buildings and in connection areas. Risk Intelligence and Integrated Control of Physical Assets Martin Grigg, Senior Consultant and Project Manager for PTS Middle East was selected to design and oversee the Abu Dhabi Global Market Square project approached PTS Middle East (PTS Consulting Group Ltd.), a A multinational security and digital transformation consultancy, which carried out the threat, risk and vulnerability assessment, designed the mitigation measures and oversaw the installation and commissioning of the entire system. They were also responsible for ensuring that the system met operational requirements and was fit for purpose, and proportionate to the risks ADGMS faced. Martin Grigg, Senior Consultant and Project Manager for PTS Middle East was selected to design and oversee the project from concept to completion. Everbridge Control Center Deployed Following the assessment, G4S, a UK-based multinational risk consultancy firm, was selected to carry out the project, based on its experience in securing many of the most prestigious sites in the region. G4S is also a global partner of Everbridge and together they have secured people, assets and infrastructure for many organizations. G4S has chosen Everbridge Control Center to integrate and manage all the technology that goes into its Security Command Center (SCC). Everbridge Risk Center was also deployed to provide real-time threat intelligence to ADGMS. Critical issues addressed by Everbridge technology: Consolidation of four control rooms into one, reducing office space required for security – This premium space is now free and can be reused as rentable office space, Reduced man-keeping costs, as fewer resources are required to secure the installation, Real-time situational awareness helps reduce risks, accelerate response times and keep stakeholders informed, Everbridge Control Center provides a unified event-driven interface and automated presentation of SOPs, Everbridge technology provides flexibility to adapt as requirements change, Reduced time to identify and resolve a security incident, The Intelligent facial recognition systems are proactively used to greet friends and identify known criminals, Risk intelligence to identify events, such as sandstorms, enables ADGMS to act faster, enabling them to reduce risk to people and operations, and automated reporting capabilities enable save huge amounts of time and resources – A report that used to take 20 minutes can now be automated in seconds.