Doha (Qatar) held the First International Sports Security Conference earlier this week, with 150 VIPs in the world of sports and security. The Qatar Minister of State for Internal Affairs highlighted the importance of the conference by saying: "There is no sports without security."

During the first day of the conference, the creation of the International Centre of Sports Security (ICSS) was announced. The ICSS will be a non-for-profit institution in the world of sports and security, whose mission is "To enhance security and safety in the world of sport, by proactively addressing real issues, and providing best-in-class training, research, and tailored consulting in sport security."

Helmut Spahn (former Head of Security for Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup and current Head of Security for Germany Football Federation) is the ICSS new Executive Director. His Advisory Board includes:

  •     Lord John Stevens (former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police)
  •     Ali Soufan (CEO of The Soufan Group)
  •     Rick Parry (former CEO of Liverpool FC and The FA Premier League)
  •     Peter Ryan (Head of security for Sydney 200 Olympic Games

The conference organizer was the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS) http://www.qiass.org