'Safety by inclusivity': How UAE police cater to needs of people of determination

The UAE wants to become the “standard of inclusivity for law enforcement” by involving People of Determination in its policing and catering to their needs.

Colonel Abdulrahman Altamimi, deputy director of the international affairs bureau at the UAE’s Ministry of Interior, said that policing in the UAE is community-based, explaining that “the community itself gives us the permission to police them.”

Altamimi said the UAE wants to help , not only within its borders, but also those around the world. “We want this to be a service that is a standard, we want safety by inclusivity, inclusive of everybody in the society, we want to be the standard of law enforcement,” he said.

Colonel Abdulrahman Altamimi. Photo: Hind Aldah

The UAE coined the term ‘People of Determination’ in 2016 to refer to those with special needs. Altamimi explained the thought process behind choosing that designation: “For some people of determination, every single mundane task is a struggle. That shows how much determination, resilience, and spirit they have to have.”

The deputy director was speaking at a session which took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre for the recently concluded World Police Summit 2025, a three-day conference organised by Dubai Police and which brings global police forces and law enforcement to address current law enforcement challenges.

Dubai Police' International Centre for Security and Safety has dedicated courses to train officers on how to properly deal with People of Determination who might be going through a crisis. It also empowers security professionals with the awareness to interact with them in their day-to-day life. 

Hidden Disabilities

Also speaking at the panel, Dania Aladhami, Principal Consultant of Accessibility and Inclusion at Design Confidence, said that disabilities may not always appear outwardly. “The reality is, there are so many disabilities out there that we cannot be seen when we first encounter that person, Aladhami said. “Therefore, we are trying to implement these new solutions or new methods of identifying these people with certain disabilities."

Dania Aladhami. Photo: Hind Aldah

She cited an example by Dubai Airports, in which an initiative was introduced in 2024 to identify and support hidden disabilities by wearing a sunflower lanyard. She called those with hidden disabilities a “vulnerable minority of people with disabilities because they are often mistreated.” She added, “They come in and say, we have a disability. And the person they're in contact with or dealing with might respond to them saying, where is it? I don't see it. And that's why implementing such systems have become very important.”