Dubai Police has launched its annual “Combat Begging” campaign, aiming to curb both traditional and organized begging during Ramadan.
At a press conference held at Expo City Dubai, Brigadier Ali Salem, Director of the Criminal Phenomena Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, said some people take advantage of the season’s spirit of giving through deceptive tactics, including involving children or presenting false humanitarian claims.
The campaign, under the slogan “An Aware Community Without Begging,” also targets electronic begging and fraudulent online donation requests, encouraging the public to give through official and trusted channels.
Since 2021, Dubai Police has recorded 1,801 begging cases in the city. Begging is a criminal offense in the UAE, punishable by imprisonment of up to three months and a fine of at least AED 5,000.
The public are urged to report begging incidents via the non-emergency number 901, the “Police Eye” service on the Dubai Police smart app, or the E-Crime online platform.
