Dubai Police launches Horizon X innovation drive

Dubai Police have launched Horizon X, a new initiative aimed at turning future opportunities into practical projects that can strengthen institutional readiness and advance the force’s approach to next-generation policing.
The initiative is designed to provide a structured pathway for identifying emerging opportunities, developing innovative responses and moving promising concepts towards implementation. Its introduction extends Dubai Police’s wider effort to make foresight, technology and experimentation part of everyday institutional planning rather than treating innovation as a standalone activity.

Horizon X comes as the force expands its use of artificial intelligence, predictive technologies, autonomous systems and data-driven policing. Dubai Police has increasingly focused on anticipating security requirements before they develop into operational challenges, with specialised programmes examining areas ranging from mobility and traffic management to remote communities and digital services.

That approach has become particularly visible during 2026. A specialised foresight programme on policing rural and desert areas brought senior officers together to examine future security requirements, advanced technology and service models for communities beyond the city’s densely populated districts. The discussions formed part of efforts to prepare policing systems for demographic, technological and geographical changes.

Horizon X broadens that philosophy by creating a mechanism through which opportunities identified through foresight exercises can potentially be converted into defined projects. Such an approach can shorten the distance between identifying a technological or operational possibility and testing whether it can deliver measurable improvements.

Dubai Police has already established several programmes that illustrate how this model could operate. Its Centre for the Future of Digital Mobility has a 2025-2030 strategy intended to reshape police mobility through artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and agile systems. The programme is aligned with the Police 5.0 model and Dubai Police’s 2031 vision, with an emphasis on faster responses and a more flexible security ecosystem.

Autonomous technology is another expanding area. The Drone Box project uses strategically positioned stations that allow unmanned aircraft to be deployed automatically and transmit live footage to command centres. The system supports traffic monitoring, emergency response, rescue operations and crisis management, while reducing the time required to obtain an aerial view of incidents. The project won a global public-sector innovation award in 2025.

Smart mobility is also moving further into frontline operations. Dubai Police and Al-Futtaim unveiled the second generation of the Ghiath smart patrol vehicle in July, incorporating technologies intended to strengthen the force’s connected policing and transport capabilities. The partnership forms part of a wider push to integrate artificial intelligence and advanced automotive technology into field operations.

The force has simultaneously expanded cooperation with external technology and research institutions. An agreement with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre covers research, innovation, knowledge exchange and the use of geospatial information in areas including surveillance, data analysis and field operations. Training and joint development initiatives are also included in the partnership.

Artificial intelligence has become increasingly important in traffic policing as well. Dubai Police has explored systems capable of improving traffic flow, supporting accident prevention and identifying emerging risks more quickly. Senior officers have described AI as an important tool for developing more proactive traffic-management models rather than relying solely on intervention after incidents occur.

The force has also demonstrated tools including Smart Police Stations, automated systems, the Drone Box platform, motion fingerprinting, AI-assisted services and digital crime-management applications. These projects reflect a broader move towards self-service policing and technology-assisted decision-making while reducing dependence on conventional administrative processes.

Horizon X therefore enters an organisation where innovation is increasingly linked to operational deployment. Its significance will depend on how effectively ideas identified through foresight and internal expertise are selected, tested and scaled, particularly as policing confronts rapid changes in artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility, cybercrime and urban infrastructure.

The initiative also places greater emphasis on institutional readiness — the ability to prepare systems, skills and procedures before new security demands fully emerge. That requires not only technology investment but also training, governance, evaluation and mechanisms for determining whether experimental projects improve public safety and police performance.