Dubai Police arrest nine beggars on first day of Ramadan

Dubai: Dubai Police have announced to arrest nine beggars on the first day of Ramadan.

This arrest is part of the ongoing ‘Fight Begging’ campaign launched by Dubai Police under the slogan, “A Conscious Society, Free of Beggars.” The initiative is carried out in collaboration with various strategic partners, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, and Al Ameen Service. The goal of the campaign is to preserve the emirate’s reputation by eradicating and preventing begging.

Brigadier Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department, stated that the anti-begging campaign is one of the most successful initiatives Dubai Police conducts in collaboration with its partners. He emphasised that this cooperation has led to a significant annual decrease in the number of beggars, thanks to decisive actions against offenders. “On the first day of Ramadan alone, nine individuals, including five men and four women, were arrested,” he said.

Exploiting compassion

Al Shamsi stressed that beggars often exploit the public’s compassion, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. He urged the community to be cautious of these manipulations, which can include using children, the elderly, and people with disabilities to elicit sympathy. “There have been several reports of women begging while accompanied by children,” he noted.

Targets

The campaign addresses all forms of begging, from traditional methods in prayer gatherings, community events, and markets, to more modern approaches such as online begging or fraudulent solicitation for foreign charitable causes.

Al Shamsi said that the primary goal is to protect the community’s dignity and prevent both physical and digital forms of begging. “Official entities and charitable organisations are available for those who require financial assistance or services such as ‘Iftar for the Fasting,’” he said.

Reporting channels

Al Shamsi urged the public to avoid engaging with beggars out of pity and to report any incidents immediately. He encouraged residents to use the Dubai Police contact Centre (901), the ‘Police Eye’ service on the Dubai Police app, or the ‘E-crime’ platform to report online begging.