Dubai Police sets out to break world record with new musuem

A museum built in the shape of a policeman's cap was meant to begin construction this year, but the police force was informed weeks ago that the plans will be postponed.

An artist's impression of the Dubai Police museum. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

DUBAI // The emirate’s police force is to build a museum in the shape of a policeman’s cap, which, when completed, will break the world record for the largest hat.

“The Dubai government is unique, therefore we want to do something that is also unique to complement it,” said Maj Gen Abdulrahman Rafi, director general of the Department of Community Services at Dubai Police.

Maj Gen Rafi said the building would be located at Dubai Police headquarters, next to the airport, and would be four or five storeys high with a view of Al Mulla Plaza.

“It’s 99 per cent certain that the new museum will be in the shape of a police officer’s cap,” he said. “[Dubai’s deputy chairman of police security] Lt Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim was behind the idea of shaping the museum like a cap.

“Dhahi spoke about this in an interview that was published in a Swedish magazine and German newspaper about four years ago.”

Maj Gen Rafi added that the museum’s preliminary plans and budget had already been approved.

But, he said, it was not yet clear when construction would begin.

“We were meant to start working on the museum this year, however, we were informed about two weeks ago to postpone plans because there were other priorities and projects that needed to finish,” said Maj Gen Rafi.

“But plans are moving along and things are going very well.”

He said the museum would benefit the large number of visitors that the police HQ receives.

“We always have officials, delegations and students visit us, and it would be something very interesting to see,” Maj Gen Rafi said, adding that the museum would have research centres that anyone could visit. “The public can come to these research centres, where they can have access to all information [that is not confidential].”

Like the current police museum, the new one will have historical police artefacts, but the exhibition space will be much larger.