Dubai Police Organises Esports Championship to Raise Cybersecurity Awareness

DUBAI: The Dubai Police, represented by the General Department of Criminal Investigation and the Security Awareness Department in the General Department for Community Happiness, honoured the winning teams of the first-ever Dubai Police Esports Championship.

The event took place on the second day of Eid al-Fitr at the largest gaming venues in Dubai, Ezone in Hor Al Anz and QUE Club in Oud Metha.

Brigadier Harib Al Shamsi, Assistant General Director for Administrative Affairs in the General Department of Criminal Investigation, praised the success of the championship, which attracted a large audience of electronic gaming enthusiasts. The competition saw the participation of 210 players across 42 teams, vying for the top three spots in VALORANT and Counter-Strike 1.6.

Team Fraggerz won the VALORANT championship while Team MYF.16 won the CS tournament.

Brigadier Al Shamsi emphasised that electronic gaming addiction has become a global phenomenon requiring research and study to address its negative consequences.

“Some individuals exploit games to promote destructive ideas, attempt to obtain personal or banking information from players and engage in cyber extortion. In response, Dubai Police organised the championship to raise awareness among young people and electronic gaming enthusiasts about the importance of balanced gaming, mental health, and caution when dealing with strangers in closed chat rooms,” he said.

Butti Ahmed Bin Darwish Al Falasi, Director of the Security Awareness Department, explained that the primary goal of the Dubai Police Esports Championship is to promote a culture of awareness and create a balance between players’ recreational lives and their responsibilities. He also emphasised the importance of raising community awareness about the potential dangers of engaging in conversations with strangers in chat rooms.

“The success of the first Dubai Police Esports Championship, especially with the allocation of AED 120,000 in prize money for the top three winners, has led to plans for organising another championship soon. In collaboration with partners and sponsors, the event aims to create bigger challenges for participants, occupy their leisure time positively, entertain them, and further enhance their community awareness,” he continued.

Colonel Saeed Al Hajri, Director of Cyber Investigations in the General Department of Criminal Investigation, stated that their participation in the championship supports their efforts to raise awareness about emerging cybercrimes, especially those related to gaming and online financial transactions.

“The ultimate goal of the championship is to promote a positive gaming culture, encourage moderate and balanced play, and emphasise the importance of maintaining privacy and not sharing information, data, or images with strangers through in-game chat rooms,” he concluded.