DUBAI - Chinese security equipment firms tried to promote their business in the growing Middle East market at one of the world's largest annual security congress Intersec opened on Sunday.

According to the organizers, this year's Intersec attracted 1, 237 exhibitors from 54 countries, while a total of 204 Chinese companies have brought their products to the exhibition.

"We realized that keeping places under control is very important in the Middle East," said Andy Wu, overseas sales manager at camera producer Unique Vision from Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province.

Wu said it is the first time for the company to come to the show and they hoped to expand their export market in the fast growing region.

Also present at the Chinese pavilion in the Dubai world trade center exhibition halls is Wenzhou Haian Electronic Appliance Company from Zhejiang province.

Sales manager Qinmei Chen told Xinhua that the firm has been to the exhibition many times, and have sold LED light equipment for the Dubai police cars and ambulance.

Joe Qiao, sales manager with a labor protection appliance company of China's Hebei province, said his company aims to use Intersec as a launchpad to boost its global export markets.

The Middle East's security market is growing at 11 percent per year, double than the world's 5.5 percent due to the worsening security situation in some Arab countries in the region.

By 2016, the global market for security cameras, disaster recovery technology, equipment for police and fire brigades and electronic security items is expected to reach $116 billion.

Among demands for all security hardware, network surveillance equipment is expected to hit new record high of 89 percent on year-on-year basis, according to the research firm Frost and Sullivan.

"Safety in buildings design is a topic of vital importance in the six Gulf countries Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman as the region forge ahead with new real estate and infrastructure developments," said Ahmed Pauwels, chief executive of EPOX Messe Frankfurt.