UAE Rescue Challenge 2026 kicks off in Dubai with elite emergency teams

Under the patronage of Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the UAE Rescue Challenge 2026 kicked off on Sunday at Dubai Police Training City in Al Ruwayyah.

Organised by Dubai Police in cooperation with the World Rescue Organisation, the championship brings together 15 specialised teams competing in realistic scenarios simulating road traffic collisions and trauma emergencies. The event aims to benchmark operational performance against international standards while enhancing the efficiency and readiness of emergency response teams.

Major General Rashid Khalifa bin Darwish Al Falasi, Director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue at Dubai Police, attended the opening ceremony alongside senior officers. He said the participating teams demonstrated advanced field expertise and high professional competence.

Major General Al Falasi noted that specialised competitions of this kind provide a practical training platform that closely mirrors real-life emergencies, helping assess preparedness levels, improve response speed and strengthen coordination among rescue teams.

He added that exchanging expertise and best practices among participants contributes to developing technical and tactical capabilities, while refining rescue personnel skills in line with globally recognised standards.

Colonel Khalid Al Hammadi, Director of the Search and Rescue Department and General Director of the Challenge, said the competition includes two main categories. The first focuses on road traffic incidents — both complex and standard scenarios — with eight teams competing, while the second centres on trauma response scenarios involving seven paramedic teams. Winners in both categories will be announced on Monday.

Participating UAE entities include Dubai Police, the General Directorate of Civil Defence, Sharjah Civil Defence Authority, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, National Ambulance, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and the National Guard.

Teams are evaluated based on response speed, procedural accuracy, teamwork and adherence to internationally approved safety and rescue protocols.