Elite police special forces teams from around the world will return to Dubai next month to compete in the seventh annual UAE Swat Challenge.
A record 114 teams from 48 countries will battle it out from February 7-11 at Dubai Police training centre in Al Ruwayyah. Eleven squads from the UAE will be among them.
Teams compete in five challenges covering tactical, assault, officer rescues, tower events and obstacle courses – testing their tactical skills, mental focus and physical endurance – with prizes totalling Dh950,000 ($260,000) on offer.
“We are ready to host the challenge. It will be bigger than last year's edition,” Brig Obaid bin Yarouf, director of the challenge’s committee, said on Wednesday. Some teams have already arrived, he added.
“It is a great chance to exchange expertise between the teams … About 114 teams [have] registered for the competition and the door is still open for more teams to register,” Brig bin Yarouf said, at a press conference at Dubai Police Officers' Club.
Last year, 103 teams from 46 countries took part, up from 73 teams in 2024, and 52 in 2023.
“The number of teams reflects the challenge’s status as one of the world’s leading platforms for specialised tactical teams, attracting units eager to benchmark their capabilities,” Brig bin Yarouf added.
Teams earn daily points across all challenges, with the highest cumulative scorer crowned champion at the end of the event.
Brig Ali Al Mansouri, director of the community happiness department at Dubai Police, said the public are welcome to attend the Swat Challenge.
UAE Swat Challenge 2025 – in pictures
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Team Turkey in action at this year's UAE Swat Challenge. All photos: Victor Besa / The National -
Northern Ireland's Swat team -
A participant from Turkey -
Turkey's team -
Kyrgyzstan's team -
The Bulgarian team -
Members of Turkey's team view their performance on an iPhone -
Fans arrive to show their support -
The Kuwait National Guard -
Sau Paulo's women's team -
Serbian fans -
The South African team -
Peru police general Carlos Romero -
Philippine team members in action -
UAE Swat snipers -
Former head of Dubai Swat women's team
