The Ministry of Interior has rolled out the ‘UAE Emergency Number’ campaign to inform the public about the correct application of the unified emergency hotline across all seven emirates. According to the Emirates News Agency, the initiative seeks to cut down on misuse that can slow responses to life-threatening situations. Dubai Police data places the total number of calls received through 999 at more than 7.3 million in 2024, with 95.7 percent answered inside 10 seconds. The campaign materials emphasise distinguishing urgent matters from routine inquiries that belong on alternative numbers such as 901.
National Ambulance teams treated 58,781 patients and managed 73,624 incidents during the first half of 2026, Gulf News reported, while the communications centre fielded 168,659 calls in the same period. These volumes have risen steadily in line with population growth and expanded urban activity, according to official figures. The campaign therefore stresses that 998 should be used for medical emergencies and 997 for fires or civil defence needs. Such separation helps maintain rapid dispatch times for crews operating 60 ambulances plus backup vehicles.
The UAE Government portal lists 999 as the primary police emergency number that functions from any telephone, including mobiles without an active SIM card, and offers service in multiple languages. Calls routed through the system allow operators to pinpoint locations quickly and coordinate with police, ambulance or fire units as required. In parallel, the Ministry of Interior operates dedicated hotlines such as 116111 for child protection matters that do not require immediate emergency dispatch. The new campaign incorporates these distinctions into its messaging for clearer public understanding.
Previous awareness efforts, including a 2019 drive titled “Do not put their lives on hold,” highlighted that up to 70 percent of 999 calls at the time concerned non-serious issues, the Gulf Today noted. That pattern prompted wider promotion of 901 for non-emergency police services in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The current campaign builds on those foundations with updated materials distributed through digital platforms, public displays and community channels. Officials continue to monitor call statistics to measure the drive’s impact on response efficiency.
Emergency services maintain 24-hour availability with advanced systems that link communications centres directly to field units, a National Ambulance statement indicated. Average response intervals for critical cases have improved in recent quarters, reaching two minutes and seven seconds in one reported period for Dubai operations. The Ministry of Interior coordinates these services nationwide to support both resident safety and visitor needs in a country whose expatriate population exceeds two-thirds of the total. Public cooperation with the campaign guidelines remains essential to sustaining these performance levels.
