Dubai: Abu Dhabi Police Team A won the title of UAE SWAT Challenge 2022 after five days of gruelling competition. The event, organised by Dubai Police, started last Sunday with 41 police teams from 24 countries across the globe putting their tactical and weapons skills to the fore at Al Rowaiyah Training City in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi Police Team A came first scoring 133 points, with Dubai Police Team A coming in second with 130 points and Abu Dhabi Police Team B finishing third with 127 points.
The teams showed off their tactical and physical skills in five tasks, representing different scenarios. They staged mock hostage rescues, raids, rescuing injured officers, taking the tower challenge and overcoming obstacle courses in a bid to be crowned the most competent force.
Lt General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-In-Chief at Dubai Police, praised the competition level at this year’s challenge, saying it was intense. “In this great event, 41 tactical teams from around the globe contested to show their skills and capabilities. It is a great event as police forces showed their tactical skills. Teams were well-prepared and it was a strong challenge,” said Lt Gen Al Merri.
“Such challenges will test the efficiency of Swat teams and their readiness to combat challenges and risks. We hope to have teams from different countries for next year’s challenge as well,” he added.
On the last day, the Swat team from Chechnya came first in the obstacle courses challenge in 4:43 minutes. Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of Organisations’ Protective Security and Emergency in Dubai Police, said there were daily rewards for the winning teams and a mega prize of $70,000 (Dh257,460) for the overall champion team.
What is a Swat team?
Swat team is an elite unit within a police force, used for exceptional situations that require more firepower and specialised tactics. The officers in a Swat unit undergo special training and have access to a variety of weaponry, armour and surveillance devices beyond the standard-issue police gear.
