Erschienen am 24.03.2015 in: Handelsblatt Global Edition

As Africa and the Middle East become increasingly hostile places, business is booming for companies that train specialist expat workers on how to keep themselves safe.

Stefan Seidl zippers his black jacket tightly against the cold in the underground car park. Behind him, the heavy door to the staircase closes. Just 10 meters to the silver Mercedes. Mr. Siedl and his colleague approach it carefully. No signs of danger.

Mr. Seidl sits in the passenger seat, his colleague at the wheel. Suddenly, they notice a shadow on the backseat - but it's too late. A man points a gun at Mr. Seidl.

Seconds later, the shadowy figure jumps out of the car, laughing. What looked like a kidnapping is actually part of a training course organized for employees by ILF Consulting Engineers, based in Germany and Austria. Fifteen of their staff have learned how to spot dangerous situations more quickly and how to react when things get dicey.

ILF employs 1,900 people worldwide, and many of the positions are in dangerous regions. The engineers support pipeline construction in South Sudan and plan massive cable railroads like the Lagos Cable Car in Nigeria, a country where Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is active.