Source Credit: GULF NEWS
The 2025 UAE SWAT Challenge marked a historic moment with five all-women teams from various countries competing alongside male counterparts, demonstrating exceptional tactical skills and teamwork.
Held annually by the Ministry of Interior and hosted by Dubai Police, this premier competition draws police, special operations, and security teams globally to face challenging scenarios that test physical endurance, tactical intelligence, and coordination.
Notably, the Brazilian Women’s Team, led by Karla Nastri, joined for the first time, having trained for six months. She emphasized the importance of building stronger police relationships and learning from global best practices.
Lt. Latifa Al Salman of the Dubai Police Women’s Team reflected on their trailblazing participation in the fourth edition, where they finished tenth out of 55 male teams. "Women’s empowerment in law enforcement is growing," Al Salman noted.
Noura Al Shamsi from Sharjah's Women’s Team highlighted the significance of this event in empowering women in tactical sports, while Major Bussaraporn Chaikaew of Thailand’s Women’s Team shared how her team adapted to the UAE’s challenging weather conditions after learning from last year's experience.
This year also saw Kazakhstan's debut women’s team, ‘Tomiris,’ marking the growing global shift towards more diverse participation. Kazakhstan, with a strong presence of 11 teams, aims for even better performance next year.
The competition reflects the changing landscape of tactical sports, showcasing the commitment and excellence of women in roles traditionally dominated by men.
