faqs

The UAE SWAT Challenge is amongst the largest global elite competitions hosted by the Dubai Police. This contest tests the elite teams' precision, teamwork, and operational skills across five challenges that simulate tough real-life scenarios in challenging environments, culminating in huge rewards - a total of USD 260,000. 2026 will be the UAE SWAT Challenge's 7th edition.

The UAE SWAT Challenge takes place annually at Al Ruwayyah Training City in Dubai, the official training and competition venue of the Dubai Police.

The UAE SWAT Challenge usually takes place in February each year. The 2025 edition was held from 1–5 February. And the 2026 challenge is scheduled from 7th to 11th February.

Participation has grown each year. The first edition, in 2019, had 60 teams from 50 countries. In 2020, 46 teams competed from 26 countries, while the event was paused in 2021 due to COVID-19. It returned in 2022 with 41 teams from 24 countries, followed by 63 teams from 30 countries in 2023. The 2024 edition featured 87 teams from 48 countries, and in 2025, the event hosted 105 teams from 46 countries, setting a Guinness World Record for the most countries in a SWAT challenge.

The total prize pool is USD 260,000, distributed across the top 10 overall teams (first place: USD 80,000; second place: USD 40,000; third place: USD 30,000; fourth place: USD 15,000; and so on, down to USD 5,000 for 10th place). In addition to these overall awards, each daily challenge also awards USD 5,000 for first place, USD 3,000 for second, and USD 2,000 for third.

Yes, each daily challenge has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cash prizes. Additionally, teams can win both daily (event) prizes and overall competition prizes based on cumulative points.

The UAE SWAT sponsors are categorized into Official, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.

Yes, new companies can become sponsors by selecting one of the available sponsorship packages (Official, Gold, Silver, or Bronze).

No, but Dubai Police has negotiated with several quality hotels near the venue to ensure your stay is pleasant and comfortable.

Yes, unless they are citizens of visa-exempt countries (GCC, selected European, American, Pacific, and Asian countries).

Yes, for confirmed participants via a partner travel agent, or visas can be arranged through hotels.

The event’s objectives are to showcase tactical excellence, promote information exchange and cooperation among international tactical teams, and to test operational readiness under timed, realistic scenarios so teams can learn best practices from one another.

There are five competitive challenges: Assault, Tactical, Officer Rescue, Tower Assault, and the Obstacle Course; each event targets different operational skills (breaching/shooting, coordinated assault, casualty rescue, high-angle work, and physical obstacle navigation).

Dubai Police organizes and hosts the entire event, and has done so since 2019.

The challenge usually gets completed in five days. Each day features a dedicated event and daily prize giving, with an overall prize ceremony on the final day.

Elite squads and tactical units from around the world are invited to compete in the UAE SWAT Challenge. Participating teams must consist of sworn law enforcement, military, or corrections officers who are active members of their agency’s tactical response units, such as SWAT, ERT, or SRT, and officially represent their respective agencies.

Registration is completed through the official website, via the "Register Your Team" Page. You will find the button on the top right-hand corner of the website.

Yes, women's and mixed teams can participate in the UAE SWAT challenge.

A competing team may register up to eight members, including the team leader. While not all eight compete simultaneously, they provide flexibility across events. Specifically, the Tactical Event requires six participants on the course, while the Assault, Officer Rescue, Tower Assault, and Obstacle Course each require five participants. Teams must field the required number at the start of each event; otherwise, they risk disqualification for that event.

The Assault Challenge is a team-based shooting competition that measures team coordination, target accuracy, and quick decision-making under pressure. It comprises a team of 5, one of whom is a sniper.

It is a time-based challenge that lasts a few minutes, focusing on speed and precision. Team performance is evaluated based on the time elapsed in minutes and seconds, then combined with applied penalties. Typically, a successful operation lasts only a few minutes, but the official timing and penalties are detailed in the event guide and rulebook.

The Tactical Challenge simulates a hostage rescue mission. Teams breach a structure, engage targets in assigned lanes, and safely extract a dummy hostage, all while following strict safety rules and working under time pressure. The team comprises 6 members, one of whom is a sniper.

Scoring is based on completion time plus penalties for mistakes such as safety violations, incorrect procedures, or missed targets. The fastest team with the fewest penalties wins.

The Officer Rescue Challenge is a team-based event where participants breach, shoot targets, overcome obstacles, and rescue a downed officer. The team comprises of 5 members, one of whom is a sniper.

The Officer Rescue event is important because it tests how well teams handle high-risk rescue missions under pressure. It focuses on tactical skills, speed, and teamwork, which are critical for saving lives in real situations.

The Assault Tower Challenge, also known as the High Tower Challenge, is a tactical event where teams of five complete tasks like shooting targets, climbing a tower, rappelling down, and overcoming obstacles. All members must carry their weapons and gear throughout the challenge while adhering to safety rules. The team comprises 3 assaulters and two snipers.

After shooting on the tower, snipers and assaulters rappel down using permitted equipment under the supervision of a Rappel Master. They follow safety protocols and only descend when cleared.

The course includes 19 obstacles such as rope climbs, monkey bars, Jacob’s Ladder, traverse walls, cargo nets, barrel rolls, rope swings, climbing walls, low crawls, water pits, and fireman’s tower descents.

The fastest time record changes yearly. You can check the latest leaderboard on the result page.

Absolutely, there is a “Get Your Free Visitor Pass” option for audiences, and the event encourages public attendance.

Yes, the event offers several entertainment activities for the general public, including the Dubai Police Mounted Police Show, K9 Unit demonstrations, the Dubai Police Museum experience, and the Dubai Police eSports Tournament.

Yes, visitors can enjoy a variety of cuisines at the event’s on-site restaurants. Options range from quick snacks to full meals, ensuring a comfortable experience for all visitors.