Egypt said Monday it would hire a global security company to help improve the country's airport security. The government said in an earlier statement that it had found no evidence so far of terrorism or other illegal action linked to the crash of the Russian passenger plane in Sinai that killed all 224 people on board. Russia and several Western states have said the Airbus A321 operated by Metrojet was likely brought down by a bomb, and the Islamic State militant group said it had smuggled an explosive on board. The Egyptian government said in a statement that it met with world-leading security and risk advisory companies in Cairo on 10 December 2015 to hear proposals and choose one to review and enhance airport security in the country. The global security companies, which were chosen for their specific expertise in aviation security, presented to members of the Egyptian government's Cabinet of Ministers, including Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail; Hassan Kamal, Minister of Civil Aviation; Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Interior; and Hisham Zaazou, Minister of Tourism. The assignment covers the requirement to audit aviation security at airports across Egypt, encompassing a review of security and safety procedures, equipment and training. The chosen company will then make recommendations to the government to ensure Egyptian airport security is world-class gold standard, and work alongside the government to support the implementation of the recommendations, additional training of security personnel as well as conducting ongoing and regular assessments. The government is due to make a decision on which company to appoint in the coming days, following a thorough review of proposals, capabilities and costs. An announcement is expected before the end of December. The decision to appoint international security experts was made by the government's security committee, established to review and enhance security across airports. The group is headed by the Prime Minister and includes the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Tourism. The government is committed to take swift, transparent action in order to provide the best practices in security measures. In addition, the government is already working closely with international authorities to enhance security, based on international best practices. Egypt recently passed an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which included representatives from Russian, Dutch, , Emirati and Italian airlines. Furthermore, Egypt is collaborating with British, German and Russian government delegations which have been reviewing and providing recommendations related to security.
