Shaping safety in Saudi Arabia: MSA Safety and Vision 2030 alignment
Iain Hoey
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Yassin Afroukh, Regional Sales Manager for First Responder and Milipol at MSA Safety, talks Intersec Saudi, local partnerships, connected technology and Vision 2030
Over the last decade Intersec Saudi Arabia has expanded from a modest trade fair to an event that welcomed more than 23,000 industry professionals and 310 exhibitors in 2024, with the 2025 edition expected to host over 370 exhibitors and 27,000 visitors.
Against this backdrop, personal protective-equipment specialist MSA Safety is preparing to present helmets, breathing apparatus and data-enabled connected solutions that support the Kingdom’s drive towards smart cities and the Vision 2030 programme.
To find out about what the company has planned for the Middle East – and beyond – IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey caught up with Yassin Afroukh and I’m the Regional Sales Manager for First Responder and Milipol segments at MSA Safety, covering the Middle East and Africa, about the show’s growing importance, the value of local partnerships and how connectivity is reshaping modern firefighting across Saudi Arabia.
Can you start by outlining your role at MSA Safety and the company’s activities in Saudi Arabia?
In recent years, MSA Safety has significantly increased its presence and resources in Saudi Arabia to strengthen our market coverage, stay closer to our end users and support our distribution network more effectively.
We’re committed to delivering advanced safety solutions that help to protect firefighters and emergency responders across the country – especially as the demand for high-performance PPE and connected safety technologies continues to grow in line with Saudi Arabia’s rapid development.
What impact has the growth of Intersec Saudi had on how fire services are supported in the Kingdom?
As the show expanded, MSA has expanded its presence and we’re excited to connect with our customers during the event.
Intersec Saudi has significantly reinforced how fire services are supported in the Kingdom and for MSA Safety, the event continues to be a key strategic platform.
It’s more than just an exhibition – it’s where we consistently showcase our latest innovations that are designed to help protect firefighters and industrial workers across the region.
It’s a unique opportunity to engage directly with local fire services, understand their evolving needs and demonstrate our commitment to their safety.
The event allows us to stay close to our end users, ensuring we’re not only delivering cutting-edge technology, but also practical, locally-relevant solutions.
In parallel, it strengthens our collaboration with our distribution partners, enabling more effective market support, technical training and after-sales service across the Kingdom.
How do partnerships with local distributors and service centres help you support firefighters throughout Saudi Arabia?
We rely on our local distribution partners for keeping a pulse on what is happening with the changes and the needs of the fire service.
For example, at Intersec Saudi Arabia, we’re attending with Saudi Sicli; one of our trusted and valued partners that are not only a distributor but are also an end user.
But throughout the Kingdom and the Middle East, our expertise lies in product development, technical expertise and manufacturing and we rely on our many distribution partners to complement our solutions by providing a full range of the PPE customers need.
In what ways is MSA aligning its work in Saudi Arabia with the direction set by Vision 2030?
It’s essential to align with local regulations and visions and we’re adapting our global approach to include local production assembly in Saudi Arabia and ensuring our strategies support ongoing growth.
This alignment, combined with maintaining high standards, we believe will allow us to sustain and expand our presence in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East.
For example, earlier this year MSA announced local assembly for its General Monitors® S5000 Gas Monitors.
The goal is to increase domestic production capacity in Saudi and to better meet infrastructure and worker safety needs.
We’ll continue to look at where such opportunities may exist in the future.
Can you give an example of how MSA technology is already being used to support smart-city developments in Saudi Arabia?
MSA Safety is actively contributing to smart-city developments by equipping firefighters with advanced, head-to-toe PPE.
Our solutions are deployed in key smart-city projects and the feedback from end users is overwhelmingly positive.
For example, our modular M1 SCBA system offers adaptability for evolving operational needs, while the GALLET F1XF helmet stands out for its ergonomic design and integrated features, enhancing both protection and comfort.
As part of the MSA Safety group of companies, we’ve also delivered Bristol Uniforms structural firefighting gear that combines protection with enhanced mobility – essential for the demanding environments in these fast-developing cities.
Additionally, our ALTAIR io™ 4 Connected Gas Detector is helping to integrate safety into the broader smart infrastructure by enabling real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making.
As the number of firefighters continues to grow in line with the scale of smart-city projects, we’re working closely with our end users to better understand their safety needs and work to meet them with scalable, future-ready solutions.
Which product lines will you spotlight on your stand at Intersec Saudi Arabia this year and why have you chosen them?
Given the focus on connectivity throughout the Kingdom and region, we will be demonstrating the capabilities MSA Safety has to offer and how our Connected Firefighter ecosystem works to enhance firefighter safety.
With so many products and solutions and a strong channel partner network, we have the know-how to help enhance firefighter safety.
We’ll be showcasing our Connected Firefighter Platform and demonstrating how our connected solutions can help teams operate safer and more efficiently through our incident management, equipment management and analytic capabilities.
The emphasis will be showing how integrating our safety products and our connected solutions can provide a comprehensive ecosystem for firefighter safety.
This includes our FireGrid software, that allows for incident command to monitor firefighters’ locations and movements during an incident, while also being the space where information is stored about equipment usage, such as SCBA data.
We’ll also be featuring our line of GALLET helmets, including the F2XR rescue helmet and the F1XF helmet, which is the latest iteration of the GALLET F1 fire helmet.
In fact, the GALLET F1 marks its 40th anniversary this year.
Bristol Uniforms, Ltd.
and Globe Manufacturing Company will also be at Intersec Saudi with the MSA Safety fire service family.
The Bristol X4 series of fire protective clothing will be featured, including the X4 structural fire protective clothing; the X4 TRW-Hybrid™ suit, which is designed for the evolving demands of technical rescue teams and wildland firefighting; and the Bristol Rescue Stretch, which integrates a lightweight, stretch fabric that is flexible, waterproof, wind proof and has blood-borne pathogen protection.
The latest innovations in fire protective clothing from Globe, along with their boot designs, will also be featured.
Finally, how might the work being done in Saudi Arabia influence fire-safety approaches in other regions?
The advancements in fire safety being implemented in Saudi Arabia are setting a strong benchmark for the region and beyond.
The scale and ambition of the Kingdom’s projects – particularly within smart cities and GIGA developments – are pushing the boundaries of how fire services are structured, trained and equipped.
In many ways, Saudi Arabia is becoming a regional reference point for modern, technology-driven fire safety approaches.
The insights we gain here are directly shaping how we support other markets across the Middle East, Africa and beyond – especially as many of these regions face similar conditions: rapid urbanization, high-rise infrastructure, dense city layouts, extreme weather and demanding operational environments.
The challenges faced by Saudi firefighters mirror those in other countries, making the solutions we implement locally highly transferable and impactful on a global scale.