The terahertz body scanning market in the Middle East & Africa is expected to grow from US$ 2.31 million in 2019 to US$ 12.49 million by 2027; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 24.1% from 2020 to 2027.
Increasing terrorist activities and rising threats to major economies have forced the government and other governing bodies to increase security scanning systems across all entry and exit points of countries. The deployment of full-body scanners at airports has facilitated the reduction of fraudulent activities, such as diamond smuggling, narcotics, weapons, and other expensive materials. Increased security screening systems that include a full-body scanner as one of the major components have successfully deteriorated the impact of terrorist activities on board. Also, with the rising level of terrorism and violence worldwide, various companies, such as TeraSense, are receiving inquiries on security screening systems, similar to those used at airports. The TeraSense team has taken the terrorism challenge seriously and is ready to offer an active, terahertz-based stand-off security screening (body scanner) system. Such initiatives by market players are driving the demand for the terahertz body scanning. The proliferation in the implementation of terahertz body scanning at public places, train stations, and subways is among the other factors expected to positively influence the demand for terahertz body scanning .
Based on technology type, the standalone segment led the Middle East & Africa terahertz body scanning market in 2019. Terahertz imaging systems and techniques have been developed recently and are widely used owing to the advantages of low radiation and clothing-penetrable for detecting concealed weapons or other contraband at airports, customs, retail, and other secure locations. If mounted in a proper enclosure, the body scanner allows the operator to screen people with no knowledge of stealth. This ensures that various person-borne threats are detected effectively without creating chaos. It helps the operator to effectively counter urban violence and prevent street crimes by discovering hidden knives, brass knuckles, and handguns when installed in public places, event arenas, and high profile venues. The enclosed body scanners can be installed at building entrances, secure areas, and other sites with a high throughput capacity.
Besides, the sufficient imaging distance of up to 3 meters ensures remote detection of suspicious objects hidden beneath clothes. The mere presence of such hidden items can help law enforcement and security personnel mark a suspect and isolate him/her from police/security/customs officers for subsequent physical inspection (body search), depending on the scene. Thus, covert and overt surveillance is one of the major factors likely to drive market growth during the forecast period.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted various countries in Middle East & Africa, Iran is severely hit by the outbreak, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, and Kuwait. The Middle East & Africa region comprises many growing economies, such as the UAE, which are prospective markets for terahertz body scanning providers, owing to the huge scope in customs, public spaces, and retail. The demand for terahertz body scanning is positive, however, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the companies are experiencing interruption in production. The global COVID-19 pandemic would have significant effects on global economies; however, the Middle East region is anticipated to take a major hit as the economies of various oil-producing countries are already impacted due to falling oil prices. Furthermore, in order to contain the outbreak of virus, the governments across the MEA have imposed travel bans, factory shutdowns, and lockdowns, which would further aggravate the economic problems. Hence, the estimated decline in the economic condition of the MEA and impact of COVID-19 on growth of various industries in the region are expected to negatively impact the terahertz body scanning market in 2020 and 2021.
The overall Middle East & Africa terahertz body scanning market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. The process also serves the purpose of obtaining overview and forecast for the MEA terahertz body scanning market with respect to all the segments pertaining to the region. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants who typically take part in such a process include industry experts, such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, along with external consultants, such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders specializing in the Middle East and Africa terahertz body scanning market. Major players operating in market include Thruvision Group plc; Terasense Group Inc.; Shanghai Eastimage Equipment Co., Ltd.; Nuctech Company Limited; unival group GmbH; and Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.