Meet Dubai Police’s first female underwater explosives specialist

Dubai: With 16 years of outstanding performance and expertise in her speciality field, Sergeant Khulood Al Marri has become Dubai Police’s first qualified female officer to handle explosives underwater.

As a member of the security inspections and explosives diffusers team at the General Department of Organisations Protective Security and Emergency, Sgt Khulood has undergone a six-month practical training to acquire the necessary skills to conduct a thorough inspection at various locations, detect suspicious items, and defuse and dispose of explosive hazards.

In addition, she has been trained to utilise Artificial Intelligence-enabled technologies to facilitate her missions and reduce potential risks that field specialists usually encounter.

Sgt Khulood views her role as a police officer as her life passion. She does not hesitate to learn new skills despite the challenges and pursues a new goal to specialise in disposing of underwater explosives.

“I’m grateful to have a job that never ceases to motivate me with new challenges,” she said. “Dubai Police has created a motivating environment for the youth in general and women, in particular, to ensure we strive for nothing but excellence.”

Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Acting Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs, said Dubai Police prides itself to have a remarkable cadre who shine and excel in all fields. “The female personnel are no exception. They play a significant role in ensuring safety and security for all and pro-actively take on missions and duties that were in the past exclusively carried out by their male counterparts,” he added.

Colonel Hisham Al Suwaidi, Director of the Explosives Security Department, said Sgt Khulood’s mission as an underwater explosive specialist involves securing explosives or hazardous devices underwater. “She was among the first female batch to be professionally trained in 2020 on conducting security inspections and diffusing explosives. She, afterwards, enrolled in advanced diving courses and joined the underwater explosives team, who is responsible for disarming, rendering safe, and disposing of explosive hazards,” he added.