The Fire & Rescue Conference emerged as a pivotal gathering point for global leaders in fire and emergency services. The convergence of dialogues encompassing challenges, prospects, benchmarks, regulations, and technological innovations resonates with the UAE's unique market dynamics.
The conference established a well-structured avenue for learning, forging connections, and fostering collaborative interaction—empowering participants to capitalize on evolving trends and collectively advance fire protection and safety.
As we look ahead to 2026, the UAE’s strategic direction and commitment to innovation remain key drivers in shaping the future of the global fire and rescue sector.
2025 Sponsors and Supporters
Gold Sponsor
Conference Sponsor
Official Certification Partner
11:10 | Opening remarks from the Chairperson
11:15 | Keynote Address
11:25 | Keynote Address: Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
11:35 | Panel discussion: Fire Prevention Regulations in UAE Buildings
12:00 | Presentation: Creating champions in emergencies – Malaysia Experience
12:15 | Presentation: Best Practises for National Disaster Risk Assessment (Governance)
12:25 | Case study: International capability building and collaboration – Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the UAE
12:40 | Presentation: The Fire Hazards of a Smart City: Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in New York City
13:00 | Panel discussion: Climate Change Impacts on Fire Behaviour
11:30 | Opening remarks from the Chairperson
11:45 | Presentation: NFPA Ecosystem Enhancing International Life Safety Systems through embracing emerging technology (AI)
12:00 | Presentation: Use of AI in the field of civil protection
12:20 | Panel discussion: An insight into Emergency management and business continuity programs, addressing crisis management, preparedness, response, and recovery
13:10 | Presentation: Revolutionizing Safety: The Role of Automated Emergency Response Systems in Oil and Gas Industry
13:30 | Presentation: From Tragedy to Triumph – What Grenfell Means for Leading in Fire, Life and Electrical Safety
14:20 | Presentation: Residential Occupancies: A holistic overview for building a safer home. Case studies from the MENA Region
14:50 | Presentation: Fire Safety in Healthcare: Ensuring Prompt and Effective Alarm Response
15:10 | Presentation: The Power of Smart Buildings: Integrating IoT and Centralized Life Safety Solutions
2025 Speakers
Abdullah Faza
Director of Fire & Life Safety – ME | AESG
Alexander Castellanos
Head of Fire and Life Safety | AtkinsRéalis
Abhishek Chhabra
Director International Initiatives | FCIA (Firestop Contractors International Association)
Abby So
Chief Operation Officer | FM Approvals
Adam Batz
Executive Vice President | Fike Corporation
Eng Ahmed Elsayed Abdelsalam
Corporate Facility Management Expert | King Saud University Medical City
Ahmed Elkiki
Managing Director, Future Hospitality Associates
Major Engineer. Ali Almadfaei
Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
Anwar El Hadary
Senior Marketing Specialist, QHSSE Platform
Ahmed Yousry
Senior Associate - Business Development, Emirates Safety Laboratory | ESL
Anil Sharma
Director-Insurance, Corporate-Finance | IFFCO
Dana Nassif
Senior Consultant- Fire & Life Safety | WSP Middle East
David Campbell
General Manager | Dubai Civil Defence’s Emirates Safety Laboratory
Datu Khirudin Drahman
Deputy Fire Commissioner | Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia
Dana Kamal
MENA Director | The National Fire Protection Association, NFPA
David O’Neill
Director of Operations | Institute of Search & Technical Rescue, UK
Duncan J. White
Managing Editor | International Fire and Safety Journal (IFSJ)
Colonel Issa Abdullah Al Marzouqi
Acting Deputy Director of the Rescue and Fire Sector | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
Lt. Col. Dr Essa Ahmed Al Mutawa
Chief AI Officer, Head of Monitoring & Inspection, Directorate General | Dubai Civil Defence
Ghaith Bakir
Senior Regulatory Engineer-MEA | UL Solutions
Major Hamad Swar
Director - Crisis and Disaster Management Directorate | Ministry of Interior – Kingdom of Bahrain
Haitham Alqassab
Senior Consultant- Fire & Life Safety | WSP
Eng. Hamad Abdelrahman
Civil prevention | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
Ibrahim Lari
CEO | SIBCA
Ihab Farag
Managing Director | Fike Corporation
Jazyah Al Dossary
Fire Protection Engineer | Saudi Aramco
John Sajeev
Company Quality Manager | Alec
Jim Dickinson
Executive Vice President of Global Sales | Stat-X Fire Suppression
Lt. John Cassidy
Emerging Technologies HazMat Operations | New York City Fire Department
Lorraine Carli
Vice President – Outreach and Advocacy | NFPA
Engineer. Mohammed Almarzooqi
Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
Capt. Eng. Mohamed Alhanaee
Civil Protection Department | Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority
Captain Matthew Thomas Quinn
Lead Officer - Emerging Technologies HazMat Operations | New York City Fire Department
Mohammed AlSaeefan
Fire Protection Engineering Specialist | Saudi Aramco
Majid Ahli
Senior Security Manager | Dubai Holding Group
Mahmoud EL-Kady
CEO - MEA Region | QHSSE Platform
Mohamed Wahid Abdel Rahman
Technology Support Engineer | QHSSE Platform
Eng. Mohammad Basher Albelbisi
Senior Architect | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
Majed Al Maashari
Oman SSS
Prof Eng. Naill AlMomani
Co-founder| Resilience Edge Solutions
Olga Caledonia
Director, International Development | NFPA
Paul Jennings
Assistant Fire Commissioner, Fire and Rescue Services, Operations | Red Sea Global
Richard Pearson
CPDO | Omniconn
Rick Jeffress
Technical Director | Fike Corporation
Rob MacDougall
Chief Fire Officer & Director of Community Safety | Oxfordshire County Council
Saad Al-Qahtani
Fire Chief | Saudi Aramco Jubail Refinery (SASREF)
Sourav Chatterjee
Senior Risk Engineer, Risk Solutions | Lockton (MENA) Limited
Sawsan Dahham
CEO | Siena
Steve Apter QFSM
Consultant, Former UK Chief Fire Officer | Apter Consulting Ltd
Selenay Gozde Simsek
Senior Consultant- Fire & Life Safety | WSP
Susan Lamont
Director, Fire Group Leader Middle East | Arup
Eng. Salma Humaid Saeed
Head of drawings and projects section, Directorate General of Dubai Civil Defence
Dr. Sebastian Ukleja
Operations Manager – Testing, Emirates Safety Laboratory | ESL
Tamara Arafat
Certification Business Manager, Emirates Safety Laboratory | ESL
Tim Dünnemann
Manager Safety & Security Technologies | ZVEI
Vasileios C. Psilopoulos
Senior Field Compliance Coordinator | King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)
Wafaa Khairy
Senior HSE Engineer | General Petroleum Company (GPC)
Eng. Youssef Boksmati
Support & Development Director | Riyadh Second Health Cluster
Zahi Daher
Manager- Saudi | NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)
All sessions are CPD certified
2025 Highlights
