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Security consultancy firm Le Beck set to tap Oman market

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Le Beck, a specialist security and risk management consultancy firm with presence in the Middle East and North Africa region, is planning to expand its footprint into new markets like Oman in the coming months.


The company, headquartered in Bahrain and with two operating offices in Jeddah and Riyadh, initially came into this region to support financial institutions in Saudi Arabia during the issues that unfolded in 2004, and to help them implement solutions against the current, potential and projected threats.


Speaking to the Observer recently, Anthony Tesar, CEO of Le Beck, (pictured) said his company has been primarily focusing its business in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE. In the coming year, he is looking to expand Le Beck’s footprint into new, high-potential markets such as Oman and Kuwait, as well as stretch its reach in the wider North Africa region


“We have worked in Oman through some of our clients, mostly banks, who had regional interests in the country. We are now looking to explore the new opportunities available in this market — oil and gas, financial, critical infrastructure, mining sector and also the mega cities — the new emerging financial districts.”


He added, “We want to be more aggressive in Oman over the next 12 months. Four or five years ago it would have been a bit early since Oman was still at an emerging phase.”


Stressing that security is a primary concern for everyone, including the public, commercial or residential establishments, Tesar said it is essential for organisations to be prudent when it comes to spending on security and safety solutions.


“You have to be reasonable on how much money needs to be spent on security solutions and infrastructure. Generally in the GCC, companies spend more money on physical infrastructure.”


Tesar added, “We take on a more focused approach when catering to the needs of an organisation in terms of its security requirements — 99 per cent of the time we conduct a comprehensive Security Risk and Threat Assessment for any new business and based on the findings we recommend tailored solutions to nudge the company in the right direction without them spending a penny more than they have to.”


He said that in the corporate world, security has to be more intelligent. “We cannot mitigate risks 100 per cent, but if you give the impression that your security systems are not in place or properly looked after, you position yourself as a high risk target. Bad guys seek out targets that seem vulnerable.”


Le Beck’s success depends on its expert teams which comprise physical advisers and analysts who are strategically positioned around the world. “We monitor and analyse the most current security events unfolding in this region on a twenty-four hour basis and we are well prepared to anticipate the threats and evaluate the risks for our clients. Our people understand the socio-political dynamics of this region, the local culture and intricacies, and are well placed to advise our clients accordingly. Planning ahead also enables us to keep costs low for our clients,” Tesar said.


Commenting on external threats such as terrorism, Tesar said that crimes such as terrorism do not happen every day. On the contrary people come to work daily and having too many restrictions on employees could have an adverse effect.


For Oman which has a number of mixed-use real estate projects in the pipeline, Tesar said, “In the mixed-use sector, we tend to work with the designers and the developers from the early stages of a project to ensure that security frameworks are put in place in advance. When security planning becomes an afterthought this is when costs start to escalate. Also the needs of the retail and residential sectors are different — they need careful planning and have a different thought process.”


Vinod Nair


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