UAE demand for fire-safe building solutions at an all time high

Fire prevention was a hot topic during the 2008 Intersec Middle East exhibition, which hosted the GCC's Civil Defense departments, as well as suppliers of fire safety solutions such as Gulf International Trading Group (GITG).

There is indeed a growing need to raise awareness on the subject of fire prevention and safety, but most importantly there are now readily available means to take action.

GITG's CEO and Chairman, Khalid Al Midfa, noted that, 'Although there was no way of foreseeing these most recent and tragic accidents, there are ways to have contained the fires through fire protection and safety engineering. Considering how quickly fires can spread and the tremendous damage they can cause in a small area, installing fireproof doors and windows, and making sure regular maintenance is performed on electrical systems could have really made a difference in minimizing the damage'.

With the arrival of summer, fires are expected to increase across the UAE, many of them linked to poorly maintained electrical circuitry and earthing systems.

High heat requires increased maintenance needs and with the number of new buildings popping up and renovations taking place across businesses and homes throughout the region, installing fireproof doors and windows is one of the most effective preventive measures available.

Mr. Al Midfa added that there are a number of fire-safe products on the market that are excellent at shielding heat and containing fires from causing unnecessary damage.

'Aluflam is one example of a fire-safe product that can make a difference across homes and businesses throughout the region. Fireproof aluminum doors and window frames can contain fires for up to two hours, giving fire fighters enough time to eliminate a blaze without worrying about it spreading,' noted Mr. Al Midfa.

'Such fire-safe elements could have contained the Naif Souq fire, and likely prevented some of the tragic deaths that took place in Al Quoz and on the Palm Jumeirah'.

Commenting on the recent tragedies, Mr. Al Midfa added, 'On behalf of Gulf International Trading Group, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the victims' families'.

Gulf International Trading Group is an eco-friendly distributor of green building solutions throughout the UAE and the sole distributor of Aluflam, a patented fire-safe building material.

Based in Sharjah, they are a leader in fire-safe and energy efficient solutions throughout the region, supplying material to regional contractors, government organizations, hospitals, and universities.