Dubai Police Launch New Digital Platform to Support Drug Treatment and Recovery

DUBAI - Dubai Police have launched a new digital platform designed to help people struggling with drug addiction seek treatment and recovery support, extending the emirate’s long-standing approach of treating addiction first as a health issue to be supported rather than solely as a crime to be punished. The service is intended to make help easier and more discreet to reach, allowing individuals — and their families — to take the first step toward recovery online.

Treatment before prosecution

The initiative builds on a legal framework that gives drug users a path to help without fear of criminal proceedings. Under the UAE’s narcotics law, individuals who voluntarily come forward for treatment are exempted from prosecution, and the law also empowers close relatives to request treatment on a family member’s behalf — a provision that has encouraged families to intervene early. Dubai Police have repeatedly framed this as a humanitarian approach that prioritizes rehabilitation and reintegration over punishment.

A confidential route to help

Confidentiality has been central to the emirate’s strategy, and the new platform is built around the same principle: giving people a private, low-barrier way to ask for support. By moving the first point of contact online, authorities aim to reduce the stigma and hesitation that often keep people from seeking help, and to reach younger users who are more comfortable engaging through their phones.

Part of a wider support system

The platform sits within a broader network that Dubai Police have developed over several years. The force’s Hemaya International Centre runs awareness, prevention and support programmes and has helped guide recovering users through treatment, while specialized facilities such as the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation and Al Amal Hospital provide medical care, rehabilitation and aftercare. Earlier efforts have included large public-awareness campaigns and programmes that steer first-time users toward rehabilitation rather than the courts.

Why it matters

Public-health experts widely agree that ease of access and reduced stigma are among the most important factors in getting people into addiction treatment early, when outcomes are best. A confidential digital front door — available at any hour, without an in-person visit to a police station or clinic as the first step — can lower the threshold for someone weighing whether to seek help, and can give worried families a clear, official channel to turn to.

A continuing strategy

The launch reflects a continuing shift in how the UAE approaches drug use: combining law enforcement against trafficking with prevention, awareness and treatment for users. Authorities have consistently stressed that tackling addiction is a shared responsibility involving police, health services, schools and families — and that the goal, for those who come forward, is recovery and a return to normal life.