UAE designates September 9 as annual Emergency Number Day to promote responsible use of 999
Campaign urges public to reserve 999 for emergencies and use 901 for non-urgent services
Dubai: The UAE has designated September 9 as an annual “UAE Emergency Number Day” as authorities launched a nationwide campaign urging the public to reserve 999 for genuine emergencies and use alternative police channels for non-urgent enquiries.
The Ministry of Interior launched the initiative on Wednesday in cooperation with Dubai Police and police forces across the country under the slogan “Every Second Makes a Difference”.
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The campaign aims to reduce non-emergency calls to 999, improve the quality of information provided by callers and ensure emergency lines remain available for incidents requiring immediate intervention.
Authorities are highlighting the distinction between 999, which should be used for emergencies, and 901, which is intended for general enquiries and non-emergency police services.
The campaign will target different sections of the community through multilingual awareness messages explaining when and how to seek police assistance and which number to use depending on the nature of an incident.
It also urges callers to provide clear and accurate information during an emergency, particularly their precise location and a clear description of what has happened.
Callers should cooperate with emergency operators and answer their questions, allowing operations rooms to assess incidents, determine the appropriate response and dispatch specialised teams as quickly as possible.
Brigadier Abdulaziz Al Ahmad, Director-General of Central Operations at the Ministry of Interior, said designating September 9 as UAE Emergency Number Day underscored the importance of raising public awareness about the correct use of police communication channels.
He said the slogan “Every Second Makes a Difference” reflected the critical value of time during emergencies and the direct impact that accurate information and prompt reporting could have on speeding up responses and saving lives.
Al Ahmad said the campaign sought to build a sustainable culture of responsible use of emergency numbers and ensure people understood when and how to seek help.
Brigadier Turki Abdulrahman bin Faris, Director of the General Department of Operations at Dubai Police, said the accuracy of information provided by callers was a key factor in ensuring a rapid response.
He urged callers to provide their location accurately, describe the incident clearly and cooperate with emergency operators so operations rooms could assess the situation and deploy the appropriate personnel and resources efficiently.
The campaign will also highlight the work of emergency call handlers, operations-room personnel, field teams and support units and their roles in protecting lives and property.
Bin Faris said public cooperation begins with using 999 only for emergencies and 901 for enquiries and non-emergency police services.
“Every call made to the right number enables emergency teams to reach those who need them at the right time,” he said.
