Al Hison podcast launches at Dubai summit with ex-white house aide

Dubai: The UAE's National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) will launch a new podcast titled Al Hison during the World Police Summit 2026, bringing international experts and specialists together to discuss drug-related challenges, prevention and efforts to combat narcotics.

Fahad Abdullah Haikal, official spokesperson for the NDEA, told Gulf News that the podcast would be launched specifically during the World Police Summit period, which runs from November 16 to 18 in Dubai.

Haikal said the podcast would host international experts attending the summit, providing a platform to exchange knowledge, discuss experiences and highlight efforts to tackle drug-related challenges.

The initiative will form part of the authority's participation in the summit and its wider efforts to strengthen awareness and prevention alongside law enforcement measures.

Haikal said the authority had invited several speakers and academics to participate in the summit programme, including Dr. A. Thomas McLellan is an addiction researcher and former White House specialising in addiction-related issues.

His session will focus on mental health and addiction; areas officials consider essential to effective drug prevention.

"Although we work in the security field, we give prevention equal importance, if not greater importance. We cannot work on one aspect without addressing the other," Haikal said.

He stressed that combating drugs required an integrated approach involving security agencies, healthcare institutions, families and the wider community.

The authority's participation in the World Police Summit also reflects its partnership with Dubai Police General Command, highlighting the importance of coordinated national efforts rather than relying on one institution alone.

Through Al Hison, the authority aims to make international expertise and discussions part of its wider engagement with drug prevention and awareness.