The hit squad that killed senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh were caught on closed circuit television at a number of hotels. The hit squad that killed senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh were caught on closed circuit television at a number of hotels.

UAE hotels are spending millions upgrading security surveillance systems following the assassination earlier this year of a leading member of Hamas, an industry expert said on Sunday.

“Working with the co-operation of the police, hotels in Dubai in particular are spending a lot on major upgrades of already extensive security systems, in some cases almost doubling the number of cameras,” said The Hotel Show sales director Ray Tinston .

The hit squad that killed senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh were caught on closed circuit television at a number of hotels in the hours leading up to the murder in January.

Video footage of the suspects was later issued by Dubai Police and was shown worldwide.

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“We know from a number of hotel operators that the scale of upgrade taking place since the Dubai incident is on a multi-million dirham basis with one new property alone reporting that it is virtually doubling the number of cameras it is installing to almost 200,” Tinston explained.

“Installation companies also report the amount of business from hotels increasing by up to 40 percent since the incident. In particular, cameras with better resolutions are being sought for clearer monitoring of entrances, lobbies, corridors and hotel car parks.”

Another recent example of large scale security technology upgrading is the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai which reopened its doors last month following the deadly attack by terrorists in 2008.

The hotel’s surveillance system was upgraded from 15 security cameras prior to the attack to 150. The number of security personnel has also increased by five times.

"Investment in active security systems that include video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection systems and X-ray machines at hotel main entrances is high in the UAE and other Gulf countries compared with many regions,” Tinston said.

“The police and government bodies are also keen on ensuring security standards in the UAE remain among the best in the world.”

The Hotel Show is taking place in Dubai from May 18-20.