ICSS shares safety and security expertise with Saudi Pro League.
Safety and security experts from the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) travelled to Saudi Arabia recently to share their experiences of securing major international sporting events with officials from the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
With over 25 years’ experience in the security and risk management sector, Andrew Cooke, ICSS Director of Security Operations, presented at a special workshop and highlighted the need to develop a more cost-effective, proactive and integrated approach to major event security.
Attended by senior government and private sector officials, stadium managers, architects and officials from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Pro League, the workshop builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ICSS and Saudi Arabian Football Federation in August 2016.
Speaking during the workshop, Andrew Cooke, Director of Security Operations at the ICSS, said:
“For far too long, many major events and organising bodies in sport have applied the principle of ‘guards, gates and guns’ to their security planning and operations. With many events now experiencing tighter budgets and with the increased media spotlight on major events, it is clear that this approach is simply not cost effective or relevant anymore.
“As a result and with the sport security landscape continuing to increase in complexity and becoming more challenging, at the ICSS we believe in a multi-layered and integrated approach to major event security is required in order to ensure a 360 viewpoint of all potential and existing risk and threats, as well as subsequent risk mitigation, is incorporated into a security plan.
“Whilst there is no silver bullet to guaranteeing 100% security at an event, it is possible to ensure that potential security risks are mitigated against by applying a tailored, integrated and scientific approach to your major event security plan.”
For more information about how the ICSS can help secure your event or venue, please visit www.theicss.org
