Dubai Police scholarship students meet in London for summit on future of policing

About 120 Emiratis studying at 30 universities attend gathering

The Dubai Police Scholars Summit in London involved about 120 Emirati students in the UK on scholarships. Photo: Dubai Police Scholars Summit

Emiratis studying on Dubai Police scholarships across the UK gathered for an event in London at the weekend, to discuss the future of policing.

About 120 Emiratis studying at 30 universities attended the Dubai Police Scholars Summit, which was held at the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge on Saturday.

They shared some of the ideas and research topics they have been working on in the UK and listened to talks on subjects such as how community-oriented policing and new technologies could shape the next decade of policing.

Speakers included Khalid Saud AlQasimi, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE Embassy in the UK, Roddy Herbert, coach and chief executive at performance consultancy Koru International, and Sarah Piddington, founder of the Safe and Well Together organisation.

Mr AlQasimi told the audience the next generation of Emirati talent was “key to shaping the future of services" in the UAE.

“Our university students who are studying across the globe are using their international experience to suggest innovative solutions that inspire how we can create a safer future at home,” he said.

Capt Dr Hamid Abdulla, Head of Scholarship and Recruitment at Dubai Police, said the students were studying various topics, such as Artificial Intelligence and science.

Capt Abdulla said events like the Dubai Police Scholars Summit provided students opportunities to showcase what they were learning.

“I think these kinds of events give students the chance to share their ideas and allow us as an organisation to see their projects and research outcomes, which might help us to improve our operations and improve our strategic goals and visions,” he said.

And having employees on the force who have studied abroad helps improve the force’s ability to welcome tourists to Dubai.

“This is our target, to let them learn about different cultures so they can welcome people from all over the world in Dubai in the future,” he said.

Capt Dr Hamad Saeed Rashed, Vice President of Dubai Police Scholars Council, is studying for a PhD in forensics at the University of Strathclyde, having obtained his master's degree in Edinburgh.

He has been in the UK five years and is finishing up his PhD, while preparing to return to Dubai soon.

“I came as a student sponsored by Dubai Police,” he said.

The programme is part of initiatives by Dubai Police to empower and support students and scholars, said Capt Rashed.

“It gives us an opportunity to study and manage the new innovative disciplines that Dubai Police will need in the future.”

He will work in forensics in Dubai Police when he returns.

Capt Rashed plans to apply new methods in forensics to trace evidence for Dubai Police, particularly in his area of specialisation.

“It is a new field for Dubai Police," he said.

Noura Abdalla Alketbi, a member of the Scholars Council at Dubai Police, said the world that will exist in 50 years will be significantly different from today.

“To meet the difficulties and obligations of the future, we must [prepare]," she said.

“By increasing awareness and knowledge at this summit, we hope to achieve such objectives. To increase our likelihood of success, we would need to improve our ability to identify growing problems and to think more creatively about the most effective policing strategies for addressing these challenges in the current policing culture."

Dubai Fitness Challenge

Participants of the Scholars Summit later took part in the Dubai Fitness Challenge 2022 on Sunday in London.

Mr AlQasimi was joined by scholarship students as well as Lt Col Abdulrahman AlDhaheri, Capt Rashed and others.

People take part in the Dubai Fitness Challenge event in Kensington, London. Photo: Dubai Police Scholars Summit

The group started out from the Police Attache Office in South Kensington and walked through Kensington Gardens.

The sixth annual event, championed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, requires Dubai residents to commit to 30 minutes of exercise every day for 30 days. It runs until Sunday.