Market Trends of Europe, Middle-East and Africa Riot Control Equipment Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Middle East Riot Control System Market according to our research experts:
The Crowd Dispersal Equipment is Expected to Witness Growth During the Forecast Period
By product type, the crowd dispersal equipment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. Riot control personnel have used less lethal weapons, such as batons and whips, to disperse crowds and detain rioters. Over the past few years, riot control officers have also used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and electric tasers to disperse the crowd during protests. The growing concerns in the European and African regions with respect to inflation, higher costs of living, and salary payments, among others, are leading to the growth in violent protests among law enforcement personnel and the general public. In order to curb such protests and disperse the crowd, there has been growth in the use of crowd dispersal equipment in the European and African regions.
Currently, Europe is facing rising populism, and the sanctions against Russia have deeply hurt livelihoods, which is further expected to exacerbate populism. Various companies in Europe, the Middle East, and African regions, such as PW Defense, Primetake, and Centaex, are engaged in the manufacturing of advanced crowd dispersal equipment, such as irritant ammunition, ball grenades, and distraction and smoke grenades, rubber batons, and rubber round, among others.
New and advanced technologies, such as powerful, loud-hailing devices called long-range acoustic devices or LRADs, are being used by law enforcement agencies to address protestors. The LRAD is a device that can put out a highly directional beam of incredibly loud sound, measuring up to 160 decibels (dB). The adoption of such devices, which emit higher sounds, has proven to be effective against crowd dispersal. This is expected to lead to the market witnessing significant growth during the forecast period.
Europe is Expected to Witness Significant Growth During the Forecast Period
The European region is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The growth in the number of unrests within Europe owing to the high costs of living, inflation, and poor payment structure are the major factors that have contributed to increasing unrest within the region.
In November 2021, various countries in the European region, such as Vienna, Rome, Amsterdam, and Brussels, witnessed an increase in the number of riots that took place due to the closing down of various shops during COVID-19. During the same period in Belgium, protesters clashed with police after tens of thousands of people gathered in a march through Brussels' city center. The march, which was named the "Protest for Freedom" march, was primarily aimed at protesting against stricter COVID-19 restrictions and was attended by approximately around 35,000 people. The demonstrators were mainly against the use of COVID-19 passes, which stop unvaccinated personnel from entering venues such as restaurants and bars. To curb such demonstrations, the Dutch police used water cannons and tear gas and fired warning shots.
On the other hand, Croatia witnessed protests by thousands of people against mandatory vaccinations for public sector workers. In contrast, Italy witnessed several people gathering to oppose the "Green Pass" certifications, which were mandatory at workplaces, venues, and for using public transport systems. The use of rubber bullets by security forces has become a major source of controversy in France because of dozens of injuries to people during violent demonstrations.
While a few other countries in the European region are making use of riot control equipment equivalent to the handheld "defensive ball launcher," known by its French initials "LBD", which fires 40-millimeter rubber projectiles. Thus, with such various developments, the riot control equipment market in the European region is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
