Dubai Police are using cutting-edge technology to ensure there is no such thing as the perfect crime.
Officials said this week at the World Police Summit 2023 that the force used biometrics to identify suspects.
While facial recognition and fingerprint technology is used by police around the world, there are other ways to catch criminals.
This new age of policing means that those who break the law can still be identified, even if they wore a mask and gloves, and ensured no DNA evidence was left at the scene.
If a suspect is disguised or CCTV footage is too grainy, officers can analyse characteristics such as a person's gait and the shape of their hands and ears to build a clearer picture of who they are.
Footage can be compared to a comprehensive video database that includes recordings from CCTV cameras.
Dubai Police said the advanced technology, which they have used since 2016, helped officers to make more than 3,000 arrests last year.
The technology proved particularly useful during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people wore masks outdoors and when visiting indoor venues.
“To identify suspects through gait patterns, a biometric system uses specialised cameras such as LiDAR cameras to capture the movement of an individual's body," said Lt Col Dr Hamad Al Awar, head of video and image examination at Dubai Police’s forensic e-evidence department.
“In some videos of crimes that are of low resolution or in which the suspects are hiding their faces, we analysed their biometrics.”
The technology creates a biometric template by examining unique patterns of movement, including the way a person swings their arms and the length of their stride.
Body measurements can also be used to create biometric templates.
Once created, the templates can be compared to a database to identify potential matches.
Lt Col Dr Al Awar said Dubai Police used the technology to help other forces in the UAE.
In 2021, The National reported that Dubai Police used an advanced crime-fighting tool widely referred to as "brain fingerprinting".
Police carried out a year of trials on the "memory print" technique before using it in investigations.
A suspect is typically fitted with a skullcap that features a set of electrodes that detect their brain activity while they listen to statements associated with a crime.
Dubai Police's 'brain fingerprint technology' - in pictures
Building a DNA database
Police have also used technology to crack unsolved cases from the past.
A genome project, based on PhD research by Maj Mohammed Al Marri of Dubai Police in 2020, focused on the use of DNA to isolate and identify genetic variants in the Middle East. The University of Cambridge assisted in the study.
“There are 23 million genetic variants recorded globally. The study identified five million specific to the Middle East region,” said First Lt Mohammed Al Rahma, a biology and DNA expert at Dubai Police’s department of forensics and criminology.
The force has been using the technology to create a national DNA database that can be used to identify suspects, victims and missing people.
“The study enabled the utilisation of the data to identify characteristics of suspects through DNA collected at crime scenes,” First Lt Al Rahma said.
The technology is most useful in solving cases in which DNA evidence is not available.
“This is because it enables forensic investigators to significantly narrow down the suspect pool by identifying traits, ethnicity and origin of the suspect," he said.
The use of the technology is to be expanded by the end of the year.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
SPECS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
