The Security of the Persian/Arabian Gulf Borders in the Light of many Risks
Technologies to protect borders
Against this volatile backdrop, the security of national borders is one of the major security challenges facing the Gulf States. Faced with an exogenous threat, the challenge for these countries is to prevent potentially dangerous individuals from entering national territory. To do so, developing new technologies is essential.
Concerned about Iran's drone capabilities, most Gulf States, would even be interested in anti-aircraft systems[1] that only Israel or the United States would be able to provide. In 2022, Saudi Arabia signed a contract with the Monegasque company MARSS for the acquisition of 50 RADiRguard perimeter surveillance systems, a NiDAR command and control (C2) platform. The RaDiRguard combines an integrated radar, a video surveillance system and an artificial intelligence threat classification to reliably detect and classify objects before they reach a perimeter. Positioned on the Saudi Arabian border, this equipment continuously monitors ground activity up to a coverage area of 25,000 m² and operates high-precision tracking of objects up to 250 m away[2].
To secure its air borders, Riyadh has called on Thales to develop an automated fingerprint identification system. For Qatar, border security also involves anti-drone systems, which were acquired before the 2022 Football World Cup. Doha turned to the United States for 200 Raytheon Coyote Block II interceptor missiles, AN/TPQ-50 radars and electro-optical cameras for tracking small drones for a cost of 1 billion dollar[3]. Thales also operates in Qatar, in the port of Doha, where the company implements different capabilities: situation analysis, solutions integration, video surveillance and data processing technologies. The solution combines perimeter security, access control management, communications systems for exchanges between security teams, and a centralized information system linking the various port sites and providing the interface between security and operations.
Qatar committed to cooperation
"We are living in an age of speed, thanks to the availability of advanced technological tools that are developing rapidly in all areas, which makes it necessary to unify efforts and intensify cooperation through the exchange of data and information between Member States in the field of border protection, particularly with regard to the movements of foreign fighters and their constant search for new conflict zones or safe havens, as well as suspects with links to terrorist organizations and members of organized crime", emphasizes Major General Nasser Saeed AL HAJERI, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Terrorism. Actively involved in the fight against terrorism on the international stage and willing to strengthen cooperation, Qatar hosts the Office of the UN Program on Parliamentary Involvement in Preventing and Combating Terrorism. As terrorism is global and transnational, border security is indeed key in the fight against terrorist activities. Qatar also supports the GO TRAVEL program. Bringing together more than 74 Member States, 55 of which are beneficiaries, this program developed by the UN helps "beneficiary States to enhance their capacity to detect and combat terrorism by using advance passenger information and passenger name record data to improve the use of international databases with known and suspected terrorists and criminals, and to strengthen the international exchange of information"[4].
Cooperation with Europol is also on the agenda: in 2022 both parties signed a working agreement that included support in the prevention and fight against terrorism. In addition to sharing information and best practices, the partnership aims to share the results of strategic analyses, take part in training activities and provide advice and support for investigations.
These partnerships are essential in this unstable context, where geopolitical issues pose risks to the region that can only be tackled collectively.
[2] https://www.forcesoperations.com/un-contrat-saoudien-pour-le-groupe-monegasque-marss/