Defend Dubai's public transport by reporting potential acts of terror, urge police

With the rapid expansion of the UAE’s public transportation systems, residents from all nationalities need to unite in defeating the threat of extremism by reporting any potential acts of terror, Dubai Police have said.

As there has been a number of incidents around the world that have targeted public transportation, including metro stations, trains and buses in recent years, they urged any individual or group “who learns of a terror act targeting transportation anywhere in the world” to share the information with authorities to save lives.

“Terrorism does not distinguish between nationalities or religion because it targets all,” Lt Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai, told a forum on Sunday.

“Transportation systems have become a target by terrorists, but attacking civilians in public transportation is a heinous crime.”

He urged police units and community members from all over the world to unite in defeating the threat of extremism.

Brig Obaid Alhathboor, Director of the Transport Security Department at Dubai Police, said, however, that the UAE “is a model of security to be emulated by others.”

“High-tech cameras will be installed in Dubai metro and tram,” he said. “These cameras will detect whether there are any bags left out by passengers and send alerts to police.”

A total of 6,839 surveillance cameras have been installed in metro and tram station.

Transportation security in Dubai means that there is a crime rate of zero per one million commuters, police said.

A total of 94 per cent of passengers feel safe in the emirate’s public transportation means, according to a survey by transport police.

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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