Council for National Security
The Supreme Council for National Security plans and implements the national security of the country and ensures its safety from all threats that compromise the national security and pose economic, social, cultural or environmental hazard.
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence organises and supervises all matters related to the federal armed forces in coordination with the local authorities of the respective emirates. It also prepares draft laws regarding the import of weapons and ammunitions for use other than by the forces, or the security forces related to any emirate.
Ministry of Interior
The main role of Ministry of Interior (MoI) is to:
- protect state security
- create, organise and supervise police and security forces
- regulate road traffic
- provide protection and security of establishments and property.
The ministry integrates the police and security systems in the UAE. Local police authorities in each emirate are responsible for maintaining law and order in the respective emirates.
Local police authorities
Contact local police authorities through the following links:
Civil Defence
Civil Defence General Command works under the supervision of MoI to safeguard lives, properties and environment. It plays a vital role in the industrial and commercial safety in the UAE.
Each emirate has its own civil defence department that assists in rescue missions, restoring life in disaster-struck areas back to normal and setting up volunteer teams and emergency units to support civil defence forces.
For more info, refer to the following websites of the local civil defence departments in the UAE:
Ports, borders and free zones
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security is the entity in charge of enhancing the security capabilities of the UAE at its ports, borders and in the free zones. The authority works on standardising the necessary security procedures and requirements, particularly checking on the entry and exit of persons and goods at ports and in the free zones.
Crisis and emergency management
In order to ensure the safety of the lives of all citizens and residents in the UAE and to preserve the property of the country, the Supreme Council for National Security established National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA). NCEMA is the leading national organisation responsible for regulating and coordinating all efforts of emergency and crisis management, as well as, the development of a national plan for responding to emergencies.
It also coordinates the roles of the governmental parties concerned in the event of an emergency, crisis or disaster. It engages in the preparation and coordination of the essential emergency plans for vital facilities and infrastructure and following up on their implementation in coordination with the governmental authorities concerned.
NCEMA has a dedicated centre for information and resources related to predicting and dealing with emergency, crises and disasters. It also has developed a Business Continuity Management Guidelines to assist the organisations build their business continuity capability before, during and after an emergency, disaster or crisis.
Read how NCEMA handles emergency situations.
Useful links
National Early Warning System
The National Early Warning System (EWS) project was started in 2017 to ensure safety and protection of all individuals – citizens, residents and visitors of the UAE - and property. The EWS involves sending text messages to people to warn them of the dangerous weather conditions and instruct them on procedures to be followed to stay safe. Watch this video to learn more about NCEMA EWS.
Updated On :
25 Jun 2025
