Dubai: Whether through a luxury vehicle, a beach bike, or a desert motorcycle, Dubai Tourist Police ensures that it reaches tourists wherever they may be.
Their mission is clear — to make sure every tourist feels safe and comfortable approaching the police whenever they need assistance… or even just to say hello.
A quick scroll through social media will inevitably reveal videos and posts from tourists and residents sharing warm and human moments with Dubai Police officers.
But this transformation in the image of the police — from fear and hesitation to friendliness and approachability — has always been part of Dubai Police’s vision. Emirates 24|7 spoke with senior officials from Dubai Tourist Police to understand the roots of this philosophy and how kindness and courtesy became part of the force’s identity.
Security and safety
For Lt. Col. Mohammed Abdulrahman, manager of the Tourist Police Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, the answer begins with a broader vision for the city itself.
He said: “The vision of Dubai Police is to make Dubai a city of security and safety. We are not only focused on criminal justice, but we also have a broader role in supporting the community. Dubai’s vision is to place security first while supporting both residents and tourists alike.”
Where does this philosophy begin?
According to Lt. Col. Abdulrahman the culture of respect and professional conduct begins from the very first moment in an officer’s career.
He said: “It starts at the Dubai Police Academy. There are many courses focused on community support, communication skills, and handling different situations with a humanitarian approach.”
Officers are trained not only in policing, but also in communication, languages, and understanding different cultures.
He added: “From the moment we join the academy, the idea is clear — we are not only dealing with criminal cases or traffic accidents, we are also helping the community.”
This training becomes especially important in a city that welcomes millions of visitors from around the world every year.
He said: “People from different cultures have been coming to Dubai since the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, so we understand how to communicate with different nationalities. We have officers who speak more than one language.”
He added that the department continuously studies real-life situations tourists may face, including cases where visitors do not speak Arabic or English, or may require urgent assistance while staying at hotels, beaches, or tourist attractions.
To make it easier for tourists to contact the police, QR codes have been installed at tourist destinations across the city, allowing visitors to scan the code and access support services in several languages or directly contact the Tourist Police operations room.
Turning fear into friendship
Dubai Tourist Police began in 2001 with only two sections. Today, it has expanded into seven specialised divisions, including beach security, shopping mall security, tourism coordination, tourist happiness services, tourist facility monitoring, tourism trip monitoring, and tourist security patrols.
Major Shahab Ahmed Alsaadi, Deputy manager of the Tourist Police Department, explained that the idea behind the luxury fleet was never merely to showcase supercars, but rather to change people’s perception of the police and break the barrier of fear.
He said: “One of the most important objectives we focus on through operating luxury patrols is breaking the fear barrier among children, tourists, and members of the community.”
He added that the luxury fleet has helped reflect the advanced and modern image of Dubai Police.
He said: “People automatically approach the cars. They want to take photos, start conversations, and get closer to the officers. Sometimes we even distribute gifts simply to break this barrier of fear.”
Instead of avoiding police officers, visitors today actively seek them out.
He added: “Some people even come to the reception at the General Department of Criminal Investigation asking where they can find the fleet to take photos. After people once feared the police, it has now become the complete opposite — people are following us.”
“Your journey does not end when you leave Dubai”
Officials stress that the core mission behind these viral moments is helping people even after incidents occur or after they leave the country.
Lt. Col. Abdulrahman noted that one of the most common issues handled by Tourist Police involves recovering rental car security deposits that were not returned to tourists before leaving the UAE.
In such cases, tourists often seek assistance from the police.
He said: “Last year, we returned more than AED 1.2 million to tourists who were already outside the country. The issue may not always be caused by the rental company; it could be related to banking procedures or other reasons. But our goal is to ensure that the tourist receives their money, feels safe, sees Dubai as a secure city, and wants to return.”
The same applies to lost belongings, no matter how small their value may be.
Officials explained that Tourist Police frequently recovers lost items such as watches, phones, earphones, glasses, cameras, gold, and cash — and even ships them to tourists if they have already left the country.
First Lieutenant Hamdan Al Mazrooei from the Beach Security Section said: “Even if the lost item has little value, the tourist’s journey does not end once they leave Dubai.”
He added: “They still have a direct line of communication with Dubai through our operations room. The service is available 24/7 through the Dubai Police app, website, email, or phone call from anywhere in the world.”
This emphasis on kindness and respect does not go unnoticed, as residents and tourists continuously share their experiences with Dubai Police and the assistance they received in unexpected situations.
Lt. Col. Abdulrahman concluded by saying: “Our message to everyone coming to Dubai is that Tourist Police is with you from the moment you arrive until the moment you depart. The police will stand by you and assist you wherever you are.”