Dubai Police's 2026 summer camp trains 1,400 students across eight centres

Hemaya offered about 80 courses this year, Khaleej Times reported, citing Dubai Police. Students learned open-water diving with a PADI certificate. They also studied first aid, cyber safety, and online-gaming risks. Some got a taste of criminal investigation work and emergency call-centre duty.

Brigadier Dr Abdul Rahman Sharaf Al Maamari runs the Hemaya International Centre. He told Khaleej Times the goal is bigger than one skill. Students need to build real emotional resilience, he said, and learn both how to behave and how to report problems when they see them.

Demand beat supply by a wide margin. Dubai Police said registrations hit about 145,000 for just 1,400 places this year. That followed a rush when sign-ups opened in June. Khaleej Times reported the registration site drew more than 124,000 visitors within hours. Some centres filled up in three to four hours.

Dubai Police said the military-discipline part of the course changes behaviour the most. Early wake-up calls and strict daily routines build punctuality. They also teach students to think about the group, not just themselves, the force told Khaleej Times.

Phones get special attention. Dubai Police said the course teaches a hard rule: do not photograph classmates and post the images online without asking first. That is not just rude. It can carry legal consequences under UAE law. Students also learn to spot fake information online. The goal is safer, more responsible phone use, the force said.

This year's course added new lessons on vaping and e-scooter risks. Dubai Police flagged both as growing problems among teenagers, in separate Khaleej Times coverage from June. Brigadier Al Maamari said parents matter most here. "The family is the first line of defence in protecting its children from these challenges," he told Khaleej Times.

Dubai Police said its own crime data shapes the course content each year. That is meant to keep lessons focused on real risks facing young residents, not a fixed script. Khaleej Times described the approach as unusually data-driven for a youth summer course, with input drawn directly from the force's criminal investigation system rather than a syllabus written once and reused every year.

The programme has deep roots in Dubai. It began small, for police employees' children only. It has since grown into a public programme open to any nationality, run each summer while schools are closed and families look for structured ways to fill the break.

Thinking about signing a child up next summer? A few practical points matter. Dubai Police said the course is free. It takes students aged 11 to 18. Free transport covers approved zones, which helps working parents. Registration filled fast this year, with some centres full in hours. Residents should watch hemaya.ae directly for next year's sign-up window rather than wait for a general announcement.