Asia Cup 2022: How Dubai Police handle the security at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium

THE STADIUM: The Dubai International Stadium is the main venue for the DP World Asia 2022 cricket tournament, contested by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Hong Kong. It is a daunting task for police and security personnel when more than 25,000 spectators enter the stadium. This is how the Dubai Police handled it.

PLANNING: Senior officials and Dubai Police met ahead of the tournament to chalk out security plans. One of the main tasks was to raise awareness. So the police issued safety and security guidelines to people who will be visiting the stadium to watch the games.

AT THE VENUE: Officials are at hand to help the security personnel deal with the crowds. The police told people to desist from carrying restricted items into the stadium.

PARKING: Ahead of the tournament, Dubai Police had cautioned spectators against parking their vehicles haphazardly and advised them to use the designated parking areas.

ARRIVALS: Entry to the stadium started three hours before the start of the matches. The multi-purpose venue at the Dubai Sports City on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road is accessible by public transport.

SECURITY: The Dubai Police deployed adequate personnel and the latest technologies to secure the venue in collaboration with its key partners. Awareness efforts included educating the public about the importance of positive engagement and adherence to safety measures and protocols while attending the matches.

TICKETS: The Dubai Police reiterated that only genuine ticket holders would be allowed entry to the stadium. Children above four years require tickets. Smart technologies have deployed prevent people from using fake tickets to enter the stadium.

NO RE-ENTRY: The gates open three hours before the matches. People who leave the stadium are not allowed to re-enter even if they have valid tickets. Filming and flash photography are disallowed in the stadium, which is a no-smoking zone.

RESTRICTED ITEMS: The Dubai Police shared a list of items that won’t be permitted inside the stadium. It includes remote-controlled devices (including drone cameras), glass tumblers or bottles, selfie sticks, laser pointers, umbrellas, radio communication devices, bikes or skateboards, and banned items such as sharp objects, fireworks, etc.

EXPATS’ DELIGHT: Although the India-Pakistan matches are the most keenly anticipated, the games involving Afghanistan and Bangladesh too attract huge number of expatriates to the stadium.

HIGH-VOLTAGE CLASH: The India-Pakistan preliminary league match at the Dubai International on August 28 was attended by more than 25,000 spectators.

GATES OPEN: Spectators settling down in the stadium after the gates opened three hours ahead of matches. The India-Pakistan match on August 28 was sold out in hours more than 10 days in advance. Premium seating was sold for as high as Dh6,000; the same seats for any other game is priced at Dh400.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Council, and Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, watched the hard-fought match on August 28, as India beat Pakistan in the final over.

THE EXIT: The post-match crowd-control is an integral part of security measures at the stadium. Imagine the rush when more than 25,000 people try to exit the stadium around the same time. Mounted police play a role in steering people to the exits.