Doha, Qatar: The physical security risk management process is a “critical aspect” of protecting personnel, assets, and information in any organisations in Qatar, said an official.

Speaking to The Peninsula in an interview, Gary Miller Thomson, General Manager of G4S Qatar highlighted that the ongoing process of the risk management requires constant evaluation and improvement to adapt to evolving threats based on the company’s requirements. 

Thomson said: “This approach will support businesses in the dynamic environment of Qatar, as embracing continuous improvement is essential to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of physical security measures so that they deliver the required level of protection in the most economical manner.”

Physical Security Risk Management is vital to make sure that the safety and security of a country stand first. Ever since the Gulf blockade and the build-up to the mega sporting event hosted by Qatar in 2022, the authorities, have embedded a culture of risk management through various government entities, outlined Thomson adding that “These organisations, using high-level security intelligence will provide rigorous control measures to ensure that there is a systematic process aimed at identifying, evaluating, and mitigating potential risks and vulnerabilities to national infrastructure and high profile events such as the upcoming Expo 2023, F1 2023, the Asian Federation Cup 2024 and Asian Games 2030.”

The official elucidated the significance of risk management across enterprises in Qatar by stating that “Every organisation will have its own risks to consider and mitigate. In order to mitigate the risk a detailed analysis will take place to determine the likelihood of an event taking place and the impact that it will have on the business. This information will then be used to develop a risk mitigation plan for management to approve.”

In order to overcome such cases, Thomson underlined key solutions that are both physical and procedural. “Simple measures such as installing an access control system could support theft mitigation in certain environments, but not all. Most solutions require a layered approach to security and an element of security integration to be more successful.” 

Qatar’s security risk management companies including G4S Qatar offer its services to clients across the country to drive a safe and dynamic environment for businesses. 

Albeit Qatar is regarded as one of the safest countries in the world, Thomson noted that it is important for entities to review their unique threat environments and, based on cost and their risk appetite, design a physical security risk management structure that best supports their business needs.

He remarked, “This will also assist the organisation in creating incident response plans, contingency plans and a business continuity plan should an unplanned event occur.” Providing security awareness and training whenever mandatory, is also a vital step, which plays a key role in IT-dependent companies or those where theft could be prevalent. This will act as a mitigation measure in their risk management planning and avoid complacency, the official stressed.

Thomson further emphasised that “An up-to-date threat assessment and the corresponding risk assessment is a critical component of any organisation’s Governance and Compliance strategy. Therefore, the more organisations understand how a good physical security risk management strategy can help to protect their business, their revenue, and how it ultimately allows them to grow, whilst at the same time supporting the growth of the wider economy of Qatar, the less risk the country as a whole will have,” he added.