Dubai Police have integrated advanced technology into their emergency response system to enhance situational awareness and improve response times across the emirate. At the heart of these efforts is a command and control centre that combines GPS tracking, surveillance cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artificial intelligence to support officers from the moment a 999 emergency call is received to the analysis of incidents after each shift.
Captain Abdullah Rashid Al Maamari, Head of the Command and Control Section at Dubai Police, detailed how the system works during an interview. One key challenge for emergency operators is accurately determining the location of callers who may be unable to provide clear information about where they are. Using GPS and location-based technologies, the operations centre can often pinpoint a caller’s position by tracing their phone, even when they can only provide limited details.
This capability proved critical in a case recorded in August when a woman called Dubai Police at 3:30 a.m., only managing to mention being at an intersection before falling silent. Officers tracked her phone to the Nad Al Sheba area, dispatched patrols who eventually found her unconscious inside a locked car and rescued her. Additionally, information such as a vehicle registration number can aid specialized teams in locating a vehicle with the help of police systems and cameras.
Surveillance cameras play a vital role in monitoring incidents, but coverage is not universal. To bridge this gap, Dubai Police deploy an automated Drone Box system first introduced in 2021. If no fixed camera covers an incident location, drones are automatically dispatched to relay live video feeds back to the command centre. This early aerial view allows officers to assess situations before patrols arrive and decide if additional resources are needed. The drones have been successfully used in dense high-rise areas such as Jumeirah Lake Towers and Uptown Dubai, enhancing remote monitoring and emergency oversight.
Beyond immediate response, artificial intelligence supports Dubai Police by analyzing incident reports after shifts end. Although AI does not handle call reception, it plays a role in identifying patterns and concentrations of emergencies. Officers review these insights during daily briefings to better prepare for upcoming shifts.
Dubai Police also adjust staffing based on analyses of call volumes to ensure sufficient personnel are available at all times. In the second quarter of 2025, the force reported that 99.8 percent of emergency calls were answered within 10 seconds, and the average response time for critical incidents was approximately two minutes and 27 seconds. The department’s stated objective is to respond to every emergency call promptly.
Not all calls to 999 involve true emergencies; some concern everyday requests such as traffic inquiries or even non-urgent matters that fall under other authorities. Operators receive instances of people calling for directions, questions about fines, or non-emergency requests, which create additional demands on the system. To address this, residents are advised to use 999 exclusively for emergencies and 901 for non-emergency police enquiries. For visitors, the system is also able to process calls dialled to international emergency numbers like 911 and 112.
Looking ahead, Captain Al Maamari indicated that Dubai Police plans to implement a comprehensive upgrade of its emergency response technologies over the next two years. This transformation aims to further integrate artificial intelligence and advanced systems to streamline processes from initial call handling to field operations, enhancing the force’s ability to provide rapid and effective assistance throughout the emirate.