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Dubai Police trace unconscious woman after desperate 3.30am call goes silent
A silent emergency call, a faint voice and a GPS trace helped Dubai Police locate an unconscious woman inside a locked car and save her life within minutes
- PUBLISHED: Tue 4 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM
It was 3.30am when an woman called Dubai Police's Operations Room with just a few desperate words, spoken in Arabic.
"Brother, I'm at the intersection..." she said in a faint, broken voice, before the line fell silent.
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The call handler, who answered within three seconds, immediately sensed something was seriously wrong. Despite repeatedly asking for more details, he heard only weak groans before the caller stopped responding altogether.
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Using Dubai Police's emergency call location system, officers traced her phone to the Nad Al Sheba area, near Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
Suspecting she had lost consciousness, the operator checked whether her number was registered under Dubai Police's database for patients with critical medical conditions, but found no record.
Without wasting time, he alerted all nearby patrols, instructing them to search the area, with particular focus on entrances leading off Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. At the same time, he kept the emergency call connected in an effort to monitor any signs from the caller.
Within minutes, the first patrol located a parked, locked vehicle. Through the open call, the operator could hear officers knocking on the car window. Inside, they found the woman unconscious.
A rescue team was immediately dispatched. Despite the vehicle being in a sandy area away from the official road network, responders quickly reached the scene, opened the car, and rescued the woman.
Authorities later confirmed she had suffered a severe drop in blood sugar, causing her to lose consciousness.
The incident is recounted in Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim's book, 'Operations Management in Critical Incidents, Crises and Disasters'.
Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan personally followed up her condition, calling and making sure she was safe after she arrived at the hospital. The woman later spoke with the police team and thanked them for their swift response, saying: "You arrived so quickly and saved me from death."
Dubai Police used the incident to encourage people with serious medical conditions to register their details with the force's critical medical cases programme, allowing emergency responders to access vital information more quickly during life-threatening situations.
The incident reflects Dubai Police's growing use of technology and rapid-response systems to save lives when callers are unable to communicate their location or circumstances.
A similar case involved Abdullah Bourguiba, who was more than 3,600km away in Kazan, Russia, when he used Dubai Police's 'Your Security at the Touch of a Button' emergency application to seek urgent help for an Al Wasl Sports Club player who required emergency surgery.
Despite being overseas, Dubai Police coordinated with UAE authorities, enabling the player to receive immediate medical treatment.
The emergency SOS feature integrated into the Dubai Police smart application allows users to instantly send a distress alert along with their precise GPS coordinates to the Command and Control Centre under the General Directorate of Operations.
The service is designed to help people request urgent assistance even when they are unable to explain their location or circumstances, connecting them directly with Dubai Police’s emergency response teams.
Azza Al Ali is a reporter from Ras Al Khaimah, dedicated to sharing stories that bring the community’s voices to life. She’s passionate about connecting with people and highlighting what truly matters to them.