Dead Sea diary: world leaders have comfort of a security blanket at World Economic Forum

Journalists sometimes get a police escort when they don't want one, but this is the first time I've welcomed the sight of the forces of law and order waiting for me at an airport exit.
Security is reassuringly all-pervasive at the World Economic Forum's Middle East and North Africa gathering.
The Dead Sea resort, where the forum is being held, is a short taxi ride from some of the most troubled spots on the planet. So you can understand the care taken over security.
Not that Amman airport is any different from many others in this respect, with gun-toting, flak-jacketed officers calmly mixing with tourists in T-shirts and shorts. This incongruity is commonplace from Narita to LAX and most places in between.
The police escort was unexpected, however. Our shuttle bus, provided courtesy of the WEF, had seen better days, and had trouble keeping up with the flashing lights of the police car as it sped away from the airport, over the rugged mountains down towards the River Jordan.
The security is comforting. Between the northern end of the resort and the Crowne Plaza hotel on the south side, just outside the security cordon, is probably no more than 5 kilometres. I counted four check-points in that distance, excluding the formidable barriers to each hotel and the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre itself, where the forum proper kicked off today.
After a day of toing and froing between different locations, I got to recognise the individual officers on duty at the check-points, and even got a nod of recognition from one who had checked my badge three times already.
Ordinary police were supplemented by regular soldiers in camouflage, who were in turn backed up by fearsome-looking warriors all in black with US Marine-style helmets.
These were manning some pretty impressive hardware, including what looked like a heavy cannon hitched to the back of a shiny black pick-up truck.
They are guarding the 900-strong party of global plenipotentiaries who will descend on the Dead Sea today - royalty, presidents, billionaires and thought-leaders.
As if to highlight the need for the tight security, as the first of the attendees began to arrive a rumour went round the forum of a new initiative in the search for peace between Israel and Palestine.
The move, it was whispered by Weffers on the salty shores, would be unveiled on Sunday with the backing of a powerful group of Israeli and Arab businessmen, the imprimatur of the WEF and the endorsement of John Kerry, the US secretary of state who is flying in for the event. Whether this time it's the real thing, or another false dawn, remains to be seen.
 
fkane@thenational.ae