Many of us in Abu Dhabi must be used to seeing our police officers patrolling the streets on horses frequently. Having a Bugatti patrol car pass us on the roads is considered normal too, so not much really surprises us in the UAE anymore.
Now, the Abu Dhabi Police are taking a page from the traditional Bedouin mode of travel. They have launched ‘Hajana’, their very own CAMEL patrol to reach difficult to access areas in the emirate.
Camels have always been an integral symbol of the Emirati heritage. The ‘ships of the desert’ were considered a status symbol earlier where the number of camels owned equalled wealth. These days, camel races and beauty competitions are also all the rage within the UAE community.
The camel cavalry isn’t the first of its kind in the modern era. The Jordanian Desert Patrol and Kenyan Border Patrol Unit still incorporate camels in their force. This is because the camel has a high level of adaptability to work and survive in arid and waterless conditions in comparison to horses.
Maj Gen Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, declared the initiative was a step towards growing local pride in Emirati heritage and raising security in the city.
“Police have been trained in accordance with the standard of best practices to carry out their civic duty to prevent crime and communicate with the public,” Maj Gen Al Romaithi.
“We continue to strive in making Abu Dhabi safe and continue to employ all possible means to raise the level of security in the emirate,” he said.
Watch out, lawbreakers! You have got no place to hide now with the police patrolling the streets and the desert.
