Security screening solutions at the Giza pyramid complex help to protect the global heritage site, says Nathan Dula, Security Marketing Manager at Garrett Metal Detectors.

A global monument

Much of the treasure of the ancient pharaohs of Egypt was looted centuries or even millennia ago.

One treasure, however, survived to the modern day as the most legendary of the seven wonders of the world – the Giza pyramid complex.

This site, composed of three massive pyramids and a gigantic limestone statue of a sphinx, is the only surviving member of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The pyramids are both a precious part of human history and a major global tourist attraction, so securing the complex is a critical task for the Egyptian government; it requires patron screening that is both fast and accurate to accommodate the 14 million tourists that visit the site annually.

Security screening upgrades

Beginning in 2008, the Egyptian government made significant security upgrades to the site in the name of protecting both visitors and the pyramids themselves.

Miles of chain-link fencing, hundreds of security cameras and multiple entry screening technologies came together to lay the groundwork for a future of the complex that was more protective of the ancient monuments and more friendly to global tourism.

Though no element of a security system truly stands alone, one of the most intensive aspects of these security improvements was the update to visitor screening.

Security checkpoints at the pyramids are operated by officers from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, which works in cooperation with the site security team to ensure smooth and effective operations according to the ministry’s security screening protocols.

Visitor inspection is a multi-part process, with guests and their belongings screened in tandem by paired metal detectors and X-ray machines.

Due to the sensitive nature of the site, the security solution chosen had to meet the strictest detection, throughput and durability requirements established by the Egyptian authorities.

Detection requirements for landmark security differ from otherwise comparable tourist attractions.

With most tourist sites, security focuses on the detection of weapons intended to harm people – theme parks and resorts target guns, knives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) primarily.

Landmarks also have all these security concerns, but additionally have a need to protect the archeological integrity and atmosphere of the site.

Security screening checkpoints passively and actively filter unauthorized people, such as the hawkers and guides the pyramids were infamous for only a few decades back, as well as visitors bringing prohibited items into the pyramid area.

This goes beyond the technical detection capability of the detector and reaches into the powerful deterrence effects of a well-planned security screening checkpoint.

Throughput is another major concern, as the facilities need to process nearly 40,000 visitors per day – without being able to make the detection compromises that non-landmark attractions can often afford.

For this reason, a solution that maximized detection efficiency was critical.

US-based Garrett Metal Detectors worked closely with local distributor COMTEC and Brazilian X-ray manufacturer VMI to provide an integrated solution that would achieve the high throughput and detection demands of the Egyptian authorities while simultaneously reducing the staffing requirements of each security screening station.

The result was simple but highly effective.

For each metal detector/X-ray machine pair, a monitor would display the security screening results side-by-side.

In this way, a single operator could quickly identify whether a subject was able to proceed or if that subject required additional security screening.

Durability and longevity

One of the most frequently under-emphasized requirements in landmark security that the Ministry of Interior considered is durability.

This specification can refer to multiple metrics: IP rating for dust and liquid protection, temperature tolerances for operation and storage, typical product lifespan and resilience against bumps and shocks.

In a security screening environment like the Giza pyramid complex, all of these were relevant.

The semi-open structure of the screening checkpoint means that walkthroughs must endure partial exposure to the sand and sun of the Egyptian desert, which can easily ruin more delicate technologies and the continuous wear of people moving through the checkpoint would quickly damage systems that are too vulnerable to the accidental bumps of distracted tourists.

For their security screening, the Ministry of Interior ultimately decided on a mix of screening technologies, primarily the Garrett PD 6500i for patron screening and the VMI Spectrum 6040 for screening divested items.

Garrett already had a reputation for extreme product-lifespan in Egypt, with the older MT 5500 walkthrough having served at the Cairo Hilton for 20 years straight without a single breakdown.

Ease-of-repair was just as important as durability to the Egyptian government.

Durability minimized the number of downtimes, but ease-of-repair ensured that the few remaining issues there were could be addressed quickly.

Millions of tourist dollars and the reputation of the Egyptian government were linked to the smooth operation of these checkpoints, so incident-readiness was key.

As such, the local service and support provided through Garrett distributor COMTEC was a critical consideration for security officials.

Potential partners that could not meet their accessibility requirements were not serious contenders for this security operation.

The local presence of the partner also allowed for preventative maintenance and check-ins that would further harden the checkpoint against surprise failures.

With considerations for durability and ease-of-repair in place, the Ministry of Interior also gave significant weight to operational flexibility and ease-of-use.

These two factors define the proactive movements of the Giza security team, bounding their options for detection and throughput and defining their training requirements and hazard for operator error.

Inflexible detectors could possibly provide excellent performance in typical operations, but a flexible detector would be able to appropriately elevate security levels in response to VIP presence or reports of terrorist threats.

On the other hand, easy-to-use detection technology ensures that staff can be brought up to speed thoroughly and quickly while minimizing the risk of erroneous settings adjustments in the field.

Often, these two design elements run contrary to each other, but for the pyramids a solution was needed that could provide both.

The Garrett+VMI security screening integration proved to be just that.

While the PD 6500i had numerous settings options, the Ministry of Interior was able to define its security parameters according to just two settings: Program and Sensitivity.

This extremely simple adjustment process combined with a one-button self-test to ensure proper unit function meant that most of the operator’s focus could be reserved for the more intensive X-ray security screening process.

The simplicity of the integration meant that the metal detector reduced its cognitive load on the checkpoint staff to near-zero without a sacrifice in security screening rigor.

Protecting the legacy

Security at the Giza pyramid complex is a feat of coordination and thoughtful consideration of personnel and technology.

It is an ongoing process of continuous improvement as new amenities are introduced to the complex to better support tourist hospitality and education efforts, and security must move quickly to keep up.

Central to the whole effort of securing this incredible landmark is a “no compromise” mentality on the part of the Ministry of Interior and their security team.

No compromise on detection for throughput. No compromise on durability for local availability. No compromise on flexibility for ease of use.

All of this meant that the selection process had to be as rigorous and thorough as possible so that the Egyptian authorities could thread the needle in their selection of security technologies.

Securing these precious historical sites always demands this kind of self-imposed commitment to quality solutions.

Given their four-and-a-half thousand-year endurance, it appears that the builders of the pyramids had the same attitude.

This article was originally published in the July edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.