The Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Expo 2020 Dubai to boost cross-border security coordination and communication between GCC nations, starting with a first proof-of-concept implementation between two members.

The proof of concept (PoC) agreement, signed on 3 October at the GCC’s exhibition stand at the expo, will allow Airbus to test the interconnection of public-safety critical networks on and between the territories of two Gulf nations. 

“We will use the Inter-System Interface to connect the two critical communication networks and pave the way for better, faster and more effective collaboration between border security forces from the GCC nations,” said Bouri. “We will leverage the modern features of our TETRA systems to strengthen cross-border communication between public-safety agencies, which is crucial at a time when we are facing numerous border security challenges. Under our POC agreement, our team of experts will test the key technical and operational aspects of this endeavor while deploying the highest levels of availability, privacy and security that we provide. We welcome our partnership with the Secretariat General of the GCC and we thank them for their trust in our technology.”

The MoU was signed by Maj. Gen. Hazaa Ben Mbarek El Hajri, assistant secretary of security affairs, Secretariat General of the GCC, and Selim Bouri, head of Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for secure land communications at Airbus.

“Airbus is working towards supporting the digital transformation objectives of the GCC,” Bouri said. “We are developing a detailed strategy to best address all mission- and business-critical requirements of GCC markets by building secure and seamless communication and collaboration networks. This latest MoU is a testament to this commitment.”