Security benefits tourism in Oman

September 2011 Surveillance

Oman is scenically located between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea; this nation is undergoing a transformation from an economy based on petroleum and natural gas exports into a more diverse model. Specifically, Oman is betting on tourism to help replace these two long-standing economic pillars. But, in order to capitalise on this lucrative potential, a new breed of international customer must be specifically catered for.

Security as a business model

Customer demands now transcend the traditional reliance on price and luxury. In many cases, the modern-day tourist in Oman considers the level and quality of security systems to be nearly as important as the size of their rooms. Additionally, recent governmental legislation has required public facilities such as hotels to maintain CCTV systems and recording devices as part of an overall pre-emptive strategy to discourage potential crime.

Sachin Srinivasan, senior sales manager at OHI Electronics (the firm that installed the Al Falaj Hotel’s security system) relates, “Overall, Oman is experiencing a boom period in security industry growth.”

In order to position the Al Falaj Hotel on the leading edge of this trend in customer security awareness, Srinivasan turned to Hikvision for solutions.

The internal solution

The most widely employed Hikvision product in the hotel is the DS-2CC591P-A vari-focal dome camera, placed throughout the interior of the facility. Srinivasan chose this specific camera because of its “ability to see very clearly in environments where lighting levels not only vary from one corner to another, but also change throughout the day.”

The specific challenge of having sharp resolution in low-light requirements was the impetus for selection of the DS-2CC591P-A. Srinivasan explains, “With this camera, we are able to identify any person in question, regardless of how dark the particular area might be inside the Al Falaj. For a hotel, this is vital.”

Srinivasan also explained the additional importance of the DS-2CC591P-A’s unobtrusive appearance: “We can place this camera in virtually any interior area without it sticking out or attracting our unwanted attention. As a hotel, it is very important – from a customer satisfaction standpoint – that we promote a pleasant atmosphere; so the quality of a camera must also be matched by its unobtrusive housing.”

The external solution

Obviously, security needs begin before a customer actually steps through the front door. To monitor who is coming and going through the main entrance, Srinivasan chose the DS-2AF1-514 analogue speed dome for its 360° pan range; as well as its 360° coverage of front of the lobby. Srinivasan noted the range of the camera, along with its “ability for tremendous resolution to identify customer’s faces, licence plate numbers, and the ability to get a clear image from up to 35 metres to 40 metres out.”

Importantly, the issue of quality and durability was a large reason this particular camera was acquired. “The reality is Oman presents very difficult challenges to any structure left outside, let alone electronic security equipment. We needed something that could withstand the huge variance in temperature, especially the heat, and other potentially destructive weather like sandstorms.”

For specific and more security-sensitive areas, the Al Falaj Hotel uses the DS-2CC193P-A High Definition Box Camera. One such example is at the hotel’s petroleum station where it has deployed this Hikvision HD Box Camera in order to make sure it is always able to immediately, and positively, identify licence plate numbers at any time of the day or night; as well as the driver or passenger’s face.

The control room

Each of these components is electronically tied into the main security room located inside the hotel. This centralisation allows security personnel to immediately access any of the above-mentioned devices and respond to any potential situation.

The Al Falaj Hotel uses the DS-8116HDI-S standalone DVR units to ensure enough space is always available for the hotel’s sizeable recording needs. Additionally, each unit is connected to its own monitor and keyboard, thereby allowing separate security personnel to continually observe and respond in an independent, and efficient, manner. Additionally, these DVRs are connected to a remote network that allows additional monitoring possibilities from the security manager’s office, the general manager’s office and the administrative manager’s office.

While Srinivasan stresses that the current analogue security solution used at the Al Falaj Hotel is more than adequate to achieve the challenges presented; he says the future of this hotel’s security would be in HD.

For more information contact Hikvision, +86 571 8700 6060, [email protected], www.hikvision.com



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Vumacam highlights concerns with proposed Johannesburg CCTV by-laws
Vumacam News & Events Surveillance
Vumacam has raised objections to critical provisions of the by-laws governing privately owned CCTV cameras with a view of public spaces in the city, which were promulgated on Friday, 28 February 2025.

Read more...
Milestone announces a platform to enable access to data and train AI models
Surveillance AI & Data Analytics
Milestone Systems has announced Project Hafnia to build services and democratise AI-model training with high-quality, compliant video data leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos Curator and AI model, fine-tuning microservices.

Read more...
Benchmark in long-range surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance Products & Solutions
Duxbury Networking says the long-range, high-resolution monitoring AXIS Q1809-LE bullet camera has been enhanced further with integration into Milestone XProtect to set a new standard for forensic-level image clarity, intelligent event detection, and enhanced security management.

Read more...
AI for retail risk management
Surveillance Retail (Industry) AI & Data Analytics
As businesses face mounting challenges in a volatile economic environment, Ares-i remains an essential tool for proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that threaten operational stability and customer satisfaction.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Leaderware Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...
Top five AIoT trends for 2025
Hikvision South Africa IoT & Automation AI & Data Analytics Facilities & Building Management
Hikvision highlights that with technological advances, AIoT (AI-powered Internet of Things) is transforming industries not just by enhancing security, but also by making the world smarter and more efficient.

Read more...
Six key security technology trends in 2025
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Axis Communications examines some new trends for the security sector in 2025, as well as some new, old trends that are once again highlighted because of their benefit to the end user in the race to obtain optimal value from technology installations.

Read more...
edgE:Tower video analytics integrated with SEON
Surveillance Integrated Solutions AI & Data Analytics
Sentronics has announced a new integration between its edgE:Tower advanced AI-driven video analytics solution and SEON, a Central Monitoring Software (CMS) platform. This integration enhances real-time situational awareness and automated threat detection for control rooms.

Read more...
The impact of video analytics on business security
AI & Data Analytics Surveillance
As more enterprises work to integrate AI-enabled solutions into their networks, enterprises must not lose sight of the implications of these integrations and the added value they are working to unlock.

Read more...
The need for integrated control room displays
Editor's Choice Surveillance Training & Education
Display walls provide a coordinated perspective that facilitates the ongoing feel for situations, assists in the coordination of resources to deal with the situation, and facilitates follow up by response personnel.

Read more...