The organising committee of the UAE SWAT Challenge 2026 announced that 25,000 people booked the free tickets made available on 11 January through the Virgin Megastore ticketing platform to attend the competition and support their national teams.
The figure reflects a marked increase compared with previous editions. In 2025, 18,000 people reserved tickets through the website, while in 2024 the total reached 12,999 bookings.
According to the committee, the growing number of reservations highlights the rising popularity of the challenge, which over seven years has become one of the leading global competitions dedicated to specialised police units, rapid response teams and tactical forces.
Held from 7 to 11 February at Training City in Al Ruwayyah, Dubai, the event provided visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the operational roles of specialised police teams, within a family friendly atmosphere that included a variety of community activities for all age groups.
The UAE SWAT Challenge aims to promote the exchange of expertise among participating tactical units, introduce the latest international best practices in rapid response operations, and assess teams’ readiness and efficiency in dealing with complex scenarios. The competition features five demanding challenges that test tactical, physical and technical capabilities, with teams competing daily to achieve the highest overall score and secure the championship title.
