Dubai Police has issued a warning to the public, urging residents and visitors not to sympathize with beggars or give them money or material assistance.

Authorities emphasized that many beggars rely on fabricated stories and deceptive tactics designed to gain people’s sympathy and obtain financial benefits illegally.

According to officials, beggars often position themselves in crowded locations such as mosque entrances, clinics, hospitals, markets, and public streets, where they approach individuals with misleading narratives to persuade them to offer help.

Brigadier Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the Department of Suspects and Criminal Phenomena at the General Department of Criminal Investigation in Dubai Police, explained that authorities continue their efforts to combat begging through the campaign “Fight Begging,” launched under the slogan “An Aware Society Without Begging.” The initiative is implemented in cooperation with several strategic partners, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai and the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai. The campaign aims to raise community awareness about the risks of begging and the importance of protecting the country’s civilized image.

Brigadier Al Shamsi noted that beggars often manipulate the emotions of community members in order to collect money through unlawful means. He revealed that Dubai Police recently arrested an Asian gang consisting of 13 individuals who were involved in organized begging activities. The gang was reportedly led by a person operating from outside the country, while members inside the UAE used various deceptive methods to appeal to people’s sympathy, including claiming they were stranded in the country without financial support.

He stressed that members of the public should avoid responding to such individuals or providing them with assistance, as doing so encourages illegal activities. Instead, he urged the community to support law enforcement by reporting any suspected begging incidents immediately. Dubai Police has provided multiple reporting channels, including the call center at 901, the “Police Eye” service available through the Dubai Police smart application, and the “E-Crime” platform used to report online crimes.

In his concluding remarks, Brigadier Al Shamsi emphasized that the UAE has official charitable organizations and regulated channels through which donations and humanitarian support can be provided. These official avenues ensure that assistance reaches those who genuinely deserve it. He called on the public to rely on these recognized platforms for charitable giving, while reaffirming that Dubai Police will continue its efforts to combat begging, which is considered a disguised form of fraud that harms the community’s civil and social image.