Region has Rising Concerns Over Standards of Fire Safety

DUBAI, UAE, February 22, 2011 - According to a recent report, the majority of fire safety standards
within the Middle East and North Africa region are based on codes developed
by the US-based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Driven by the
increase in high-rise construction projects, where the association has
devised specific tall building fire codes; and the availability of local
training courses, have resulted in the NFPA codes becoming one of the most
powerful fire safety resources within the region.

In addition, a recent survey conducted by IQPC has revealed that 85% of
the respondents cited the NFPA codes as being the most influential fire
safety standards throughout the MENA region.

Sumir Pattoo a Senior Fire Protection Engineer at Saudi Aramco, who will
address the origin and application of fire codes at Fire Safety MENA 2011,
believes the reason NFPA codes are the most influential in the region are
"…they are extensive in covering a huge range of elements both within
aspects of fire protection and fire prevention. These codes have requirements
which are based on concrete research".

Qatar, in particular, aims to match international standards of fire and
risk management, especially after the 2022 FIFA World Cup win, which in turn
will result in an unprecedented growth in building development and huge
foreign capital investment. The local Civil Defence Authority aims to promote
and enforce all necessary preventative measures to avoid the risk of fire,
including ensuring fire and life safety systems are maintained through
regular inspections.

The NFPA will be facilitating an accredited technical training course at
IQPC's Fire Safety MENA 2011 conference taking place from 3 - 6 April 2011 at
the Oryx Rotana in Doha, Qatar. As one of the world's leading advocates of
fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety this course will
benefit professionals directly and indirectly involved in fire safety.

At the event, the International Safety Quality Environment Management
Association (ISQEMA) and World Safety Organisation (WSO) will be represented
by Chairman and Board Director respectively, Wayne Harris, who will evaluate
fire safety within construction projects and Chair the conference. The
Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Saudi Arabian Chapter will be
represented by President Ali Mokhtar who has based his presentation topic on
the role of their society.

About IQPC

IQPC provides business executives around the world with tailored
practical conferences, large scale events, topical seminars and in-house
training programs, keeping them up-to-date with industry trends,
technological developments and the regulatory landscape. IQPC's large scale
conferences are market leading "must attend" events for their respective
industries.

IQPC produces more than 1,500 events annually around the world, and
continues to grow. Founded in 1973, IQPC now has offices in major cities
across six continents including: Berlin, Bengalaru, Dubai, Johannesburg,
London, Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and
Toronto. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to produce
an unrivalled portfolio of conferences.

For more information contact Michelle Petiza, Marketing Manager, IQPC
Middle East. Email enquiry@iqpc.ae or call +971-364-2975 or visit
www.firesafetymena.com

For more information contact Michelle Petiza, Marketing Manager, IQPC
Middle East. Email enquiry at iqpc.ae or call +971-364-2975 or visit
www.firesafetymena.com