ABU DHABI Ñ The United Arab Emirates has bolstered security for a
meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Dubai.
UAE officials said the Dubai emirate has strengthened its police and
security forces with additional officers and advanced security and military
equipment. They said the force has been training to respond to any
insurgency attack or emergency during the six-day meeting, which begins on
Sept. 18.
"Our rescue officers are ready to tackle any crisis," Brig Gen. Mohammed
Al Mansoori, a senior Dubai police official, said. "We have been preparing
and planning for it over the past year. We have the equipment and staff to
deal with land and sea rescues with utmost efficiency."
On Tuesday, Dubai's police and civil defense forces staged an exercise
at a major hotel, Middle East Newsline reported. The exercise sought to test the response and capabilities
of authorities to rescue an fire victim on the hotel's 36th floor.
Al Mansoori commands a 300-member rescue department that deals with land
and sea operations. The department has six sections that employ an elite
rapid response force as well as naval vessels.
Officials said UAE security forces have added patrols near the Dubai
International Convention Center, where the IMF-World Bank meeting is
scheduled. They said the board of governor's session, which includes
representatives from 184 countries, constitutes the greatest test of Dubai's
security capabilities and its ability to handle thousands of people meant to
attend the meeting.
The Dubai emergency forces has a response time of between five and 15
minutes, officials said. The forces have been trained in an effort to reduce
the response time.
"We are working towards further modernizing our equipment, introducing
new technology, upgrading skills and having greater participation in
international events such as security exhibitions," Al Mansoori said.
