United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Hamdan inaugurates Dubai Police Genome Center

The center is dedicated to supporting police work by developing advanced testing in forensic identification, genetics and metagenomics. The initiative is aligned with the UAE National Genomics Strategy, which aims to establish an integrated framework for genomics programs and make the country a hub for research and innovation in this field. This move puts Dubai Police at the forefront of law enforcement agencies around the world in terms of genomic science.

The launch took place during Sheikh Hamdan’s visit to the Dubai Police Officers Club, where he was received by Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and senior officials.

During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan reviewed the organizational structure of the Genome Center, which has four main sections: Human Genome, Metagenome, Bioinformatics and Biotechnology.

The Human Genome section is responsible for analyzing degraded samples to determine the genetic background of individuals and perform molecular autopsy tests.

The Metagenome section specializes in examining environmental and non-human samples to identify their species or strains.

The Bioinformatics and Biotechnology sections are dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence to perform statistical analysis of variants based on genomic data.

The new center is supported by the force’s initiative to sponsor selected employees and students for specialized education in genomics at prestigious international universities.

Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on the Dubai Police forensic entomology project, the first such initiative in the Middle East using a regional database in this field. Dubai Police has gained specialized experience in this area as part of developing its forensic science competencies to determine causes of death.

The Genome Center’s forensic entomology project team achieved a major milestone by reducing the time needed to obtain critical forensic results to less than 24 hours. This sets a new global standard, far exceeding the average duration of 3 to 14 days seen in several countries around the world.

This outstanding achievement adds tremendous value to the capabilities of Dubai Police. The force has trained experts and created a scientific database using information from various geographic and climate simulations. With these efforts, Dubai Police has achieved proficiency in five key objectives: cataloging local insect species, studying their life cycles, examining climatic and geographic impact, measuring growth rates, and applying this data to real-world cases of effective way.

The Crown Prince of Dubai also examined the remarkable results of using the Dubai Police’s ‘Brain Fingerprint’ system to resolve several criminal cases. The advanced system uses a specialized device to measure suspects’ brain wave activity when they are exposed to images associated with the crime scene or the tools used to commit the crime. The system provides accurate information about the suspect’s memory of the crime, increasing the professionalism and precision of security operations.

Lieutenant General Al Marri expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. He highlighted Dubai Police’s dedication to continually enhance its capabilities to ensure safety and security, affirming the UAE’s position as a regional and global model for progress and prosperity.