10.5 Ports, Airports and Border Security

Quick Answer: Airports, seaports and border points are protected by government authorities, working to international standards. These are ICAO Annex 17 for aviation and the ISPS Code for ports, implemented in the UAE by bodies such as the GCAA and the ICP. Private guards support them in defined roles, including access control at gates, screening where authorised, patrols of landside areas, cargo and vehicle checks, and observing and reporting. Every restricted area needs the right permit, every unattended item is reported, and smuggling or suspicious activity goes to the authorities, not to a guard's own investigation.

The regulatory picture

Within the private security system, airports security is a separate company licence (Article 17 of Ministerial Decision No. 557, with AED 40,000 listed in the published fee schedule), and private airports security guard is a separate individual licence (Article 90).

Airports

Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention requires every contracting state to have a written National Civil Aviation Security Programme, and every airport serving civil aviation to have a written Airport Security Programme, with an authority coordinating security controls. The GCAA is the UAE's federal regulator for civil aviation safety and security. Private guards work within the airport's programme and follow its instructions.

Landside and airside.

• Landside areas are open to the public: terminals before security, car parks, drop-off roads.
• Airside areas are security restricted: aprons, gates, baggage halls and aircraft. Entry requires a valid airport ID permit for the specific zone and screening.
• Challenge anyone in a restricted zone without a visible, valid permit. Escort or report them. Never lend your permit and never let someone follow you through a controlled door (tailgating).

Screening. Passengers, crew, staff and their bags pass through screening (X-ray, walk-through and hand-held metal detectors, and other equipment) before going airside. NSI's X-ray and screening course covers X-ray image interpretation and identifying threats, including weapons and IEDs. A screener follows the airport's prohibited-items list exactly and refers anything doubtful to a supervisor.

Unattended baggage. Treat any unattended bag in a terminal as potentially suspicious. Apply the HOT and 4Cs approach in Section 4.3, call the airport security control room, and keep people back. Do not move the bag.

Insider threat. Staff with permits can bypass screening routines. Report anyone using another person's permit, entering zones unrelated to their job, or carrying items that do not fit their duties.

Seaports and port facilities: the ISPS Code

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), under chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention, requires ships and port facilities to assess threats and keep approved security plans. Key terms:

At each level, the plan states who may enter, how often patrols run, and how cargo, stores and vehicles are checked. Guards must know the current security level and the measures it triggers at their post. In Abu Dhabi, entry to many port, oil and gas, and power installations also requires a CICPA security pass (Section 10.6).

Cargo and seals. Check container numbers and seal numbers against the documents (Section 6.3). Report broken, missing or mismatched seals before the container moves.

Borders and smuggling

Border control, immigration and customs are federal government functions. They are carried out by the ICP, customs and police at airports, seaports and land crossings. A private guard at a logistics site, free zone or port gate has no customs or immigration powers, but should report:

• vehicles or containers that do not match their documents;
• people trying to leave a restricted area with undeclared goods;
• packages that are hidden, unusually heavy or wrapped to defeat X-ray;
• requests to "look the other way" or offers of money, which are bribery attempts. Accepting a bribe is a crime for private-sector employees under Article 278 of the Crimes and Penalties Law.

Section summary checklist

• Airports: ICAO Annex 17. The national programme plus each airport's programme. The GCAA regulates. Landside is public; airside needs a permit plus screening.
• Never lend permits. Stop tailgating. Report unattended bags without moving them.
• Ports: ISPS Code security levels 1 (normal), 2 (heightened), 3 (exceptional). The PFSO runs the facility plan.
• Borders and customs belong to federal authorities such as the ICP. Guards observe and report.
• Separate licences: airports security (company, Article 17) and airport security guard (Article 90).