Bauporte Gulf has reported an increasing demand for burglary resistance class, RC3 entrance systems and doors from building owners and designers across MENA, in particular Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Threat-resistant doors have always been the benchmark standard for banks and financial institutions throughout the world, however a more recent trend has emerged where architects and designers of five-star hotels and an increasing number of government buildings are also enquiring about RC3-rated entrance systems. Other security features such as night shutters for refurbishment and new build projects across the MENA region are also seeing an upswing in demand.

The internationally recognised RC3 certification ensures the majority of burglars using a variety of tools such as drills, knives, saws, screwdrivers, crowbars or hammers, will encounter greater difficulty in trying to enact a break-in. Bauporte designs and manufactures doors to these specifications at its factory in Germany which are then shipped to the Middle East and installed by its local team. The company custom designs and manufactures automatic RC3-rated doors in a range of options including swing revolving, sliding and pivot doors, together with higher specification bullet and ballistic-resistant options also currently available.

“Installing RC3 doors can help hotel and exhibition centres win major government contracts, such as G7 summits, because organising officials are often required to choose venues with the highest level of security features.

Paul Haslam, partner at Bauporte Gulf, said: “When you start talking about high-security doors, people often immediately think of thick steel doors with unbreakable locks. However, modern security doors are nothing like that. Next-generation security doors generally come in an all-glass finish so the doors look inviting and seamlessly blend into the modern all-glass entrance façades, creating that all-important first and last impression when entering or exiting a building.”

He added: “Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are currently generating the greatest demand for automatic RC3-rated doors which could be due to a higher perceived risk in those countries. This is less the case in the UAE, where most RC3-rated door enquiries are for bank and financial institution buildings, as well as some government building work.”

Haslam also explained recent advances in glass technology and manufacturing techniques have enabled these all-glass next-generation security doors to be produced. The strength-to-weight ratios of glass has been improved allowing thinner, more resistant glass for use in automatic doors with transparent laminated cores to further increase strength at various levels up to bullet and ballistic-resistant standard. Fire-resistant doors are also possible.”