UAE: Ministry of Interior leverages Artificial Intelligence to fight cyber and economic crimes

Dubai: The Cybercrime Combating Department at the Ministry of Interior confirmed the use of artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, and modern legislation as key tools in fighting crime, noting that crimes fall into categories such as economic, traditional, and cyber-related. The Ministry stated that it has begun implementing data analysis systems and updating legislation to address complex crimes.

It emphasized that cybercrimes are increasing with the expansion of the internet and digital technologies, particularly in areas such as data theft, online fraud, and cyberattacks.

Measures and Challenges

Current measures to combat such crimes include the use of artificial intelligence, smart surveillance systems, and updated laws to tackle digital crimes. Challenges include the evolving tools used by criminals, difficulty in early detection, and data protection issues.

Economic crimes include money laundering, financial fraud, and tax evasion, countered through cooperation with financial institutions, the use of data analysis systems, and legislative updates. Challenges in this area involve tampering with digital evidence and cross-border crimes.

Traditional crimes—such as theft, assaults, and property violations—are addressed through widespread camera deployment, increased patrols, and awareness programs. However, certain crimes persist in remote areas or densely populated regions.

The Cybercrime Combating Department at the Federal Criminal Police General Directorate, in the Police Community magazine issued by the Ministry of Interior, highlighted that government efforts in combating crime through the adoption of advanced technologies, legal updates, and enhanced Arab and international cooperation have resulted in lower crime rates in some categories and greater effectiveness in investigations.

Evolution of Criminal Tools

The Department stressed that increased reliance on technology leads to more cybercrimes and more advanced criminal tools, especially with the development of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Cybercrimes will become increasingly complex, with criminals using machine learning tools for attacks. New crime types will emerge, such as AI-driven attacks—malware that can learn, evolve, and be used for fraud and sabotage.

Future challenges include protecting data and privacy rights, the continuous evolution of criminal tools, the shortage of skilled personnel trained in modern technologies, and balancing security needs with human rights. Opportunities lie in building advanced AI-powered security systems, strengthening Arab and international cooperation to combat cross-border crimes, enhancing national cybersecurity capabilities, and raising public awareness about cyber and digital crimes and prevention methods.

Upgrading Infrastructure

The Department recommended continuously upgrading cybersecurity infrastructure, training specialists on the latest predictive and early detection technologies, and updating legislation to keep pace with technological advances.

In July, the Cybercrime Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police launched an educational online platform aimed at raising awareness of cybercrimes. The platform offers valuable content in Arabic and English covering all aspects of cybercrime prevention, identifying fraud techniques, and avoiding them.

The platform targets all segments of society—children, parents, individuals, business owners, employees, and all users of social media and the internet. It can be accessed via the following link:

https://ecrimehub.gov.ae/ar

The launch reflects Dubai Police’s belief that awareness is the first step in preventing various types of crimes, especially cybercrimes, amid the growing reliance on technology, digital tools, and AI. This requires keeping pace with technology by increasing awareness to prevent exploitation by fraudsters and other criminals.

Can Artificial Intelligence Stop Cybercrime?

AI-powered tools can help security teams detect threats early and take necessary action before they escalate. They also assist teams in preventing breaches, phishing attempts, and other cyber threats in real time, protecting organizations and their resources from financial and reputational harm.

How is AI Used to Prevent Crime?

AI is transforming how law enforcement addresses modern crime. Automation helps police departments predict, detect, and prevent criminal activity. AI enables law enforcement to identify hidden connections within complex datasets and respond quickly to ongoing threats.