UAE Swat Challenge: Global commando teams vie for Dh1 million in Dubai

Dozens of elite crimefighters from across the globe will be competing in this year's UAE Swat Challenge in Dubai.

About 87 teams from 48 countries will be participating in the event, up from 55 last year, with prizes totalling Dh1 million ($272,000) up for grabs.

The fifth annual event will be staged between Saturday and next Wednesday at the Dubai Police training centre in Al Rawayyah, with 11 squads from the UAE taking part.

There will also be five all-women teams taking part in the competition, representing Dubai Police, Abu Dhabi Police, the Chilean Police Investigations, the Militsiya from Belarus and the Royal Thai Police.

The UAE Swat Challenge is organised by the Dubai Police and held under the patronage of Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

It first started in 2019 and involves teams from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and the Ministry of Interior, as well as squads from overseas.

The event aims to promote co-operation and understanding between international Swat teams and highlight best practices.

There are five tests – tactical, assault, officer rescues, tower events and obstacle courses – designed to assess the tactical skills, mental focus and physical endurance of the participating teams.

“This edition is unique as we will have five all-female teams competing, up from only one team last year,” said Brig Obaid Mubarak Al Ketbi, deputy director of protective security and emergencies for security affairs and head of the organising committee for the UAE Swat Challenge.

Preparing an all-women team for Dubai Police was a challenge, said First Lieutenant Yaser Al Zarouni, leader of the Dubai Police teams, but he added that they now have a “confident, well-trained and fully prepared team”.

Last year, the UAE's trailblazing first all-women team was made up of jiu-jitsu champions, keen-eyed sharpshooters and officers chosen to protect A-list celebrities.

Last year's all-female Dubai SWAT team was made up of jiu-jitsu champions, sharpshooters and officers chosen to protect A-list celebrities. Leslie Pableo / The National

“Competing in a male-dominated field, our all-female team managed to rank 10th, surpassing 45 men's teams, which is a significant achievement,” he said.

Lt Al Zarouni said their participation has been a catalyst for more women's teams joining the competition.

He hopes that the number of all-women teams grows to 20 in the near future.

Afraa Al Nuaimi, head of the Dubai Police's women's team, said they are ready to make a remarkable impact in the competition.

“I hope we will deliver a performance that will inspire everyone,” she said.

More than 30 international referees will ensure fair play and professional conduct throughout the competition.

The total prize money has been increased this year from $170,000 last year.

The overall winner will receive $80,000, with the runners-up securing $40,000 and the third-placed team earning $30,000.

Competitions will start from 6.30pm on Saturday and will continue from 8am to 5pm on the following days.

Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.

The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

What is the definition of an SME?

SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.