Rabdan Academy, a global leader in the fields of safety, security, defence, emergency preparedness and crisis management, has wrapped up the second edition of the Centers of Excellence conference, held this week in Abu Dhabi, under the theme ‘Agility and Resilience of First Responders,’ with the aim of strengthening first responders’ capabilities to address major threats and incidents.
The conference commenced with an opening address by His Excellency James Anthony Morse, President of Rabdan Academy, who reaffirmed the Academy’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with relevant authorities to develop and train individuals to tackle future national security challenges. Morse expressed pride in the conference’s remarkable achievements, particularly in advancing collaborative training programmes.
His Excellency Staff Major General Michael Simon Hindmarsh, Chairman of Rabdan Academy’s Board of Trustees, delivered a keynote speech offering an in-depth overview of the conference’s themes and objectives. Megan Stiffler, Deputy Commissioner in the Strategic Capability Division at Fire and Rescue New South Wales, participated in the opening ceremony, delivering a speech on “Agile Adaptive Fire Services of the Future.”
The conference featured a range of research presentations across its three key areas. In the fire management category, Eitan Charnoff, from the Secure Communities Forum, presented a paper titled “Community Approaches to Firefighting.” Dr Talal Alharthi, Member of Vocational Education Affairs at Rabdan Academy, addressed “Requirements for First Responders,” while Major Engineer Ali Hassan Al Madfai, Head of Executive Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, presented on ‘Facing the Heat: Tackling the Complexities of Electric Vehicle Firefighting.’
Furthermore, David Powell, Principal Advisor at the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, discussed ‘Civilian Involvement when the Smoke Clears.” Dr. Ruei-lin Yu, Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Institute of Strategy Study at the National Defence University, explored ‘Enhanced Fire Service Coordination on Warships: Integrated Emergency Management,’ and Mr Sergio Re, Sales Director at Bohemia Interactive Simulation, highlighted the ‘Enterprise Terrain Management.’
In the counter-terrorism category, Dr Adnan Ahmad Olwan, Member of Vocational Education Affairs at Rabdan Academy, presented on “Countering Extremist Ideology.” Mr Anthony Kin Hian NG, Vice President at ST Engineering Group, discussed ‘Technologies and AI for First Responders in Emergency Preparedness & Resilience,’ while Dr Eric Halford, Associate Professor and Associate Researcher at Rabdan Academy, spoke on ‘Optimizing Intelligence Operations: Harnessing THRIVE for National Intelligence Model Advancement’.
Dr Omer Ali Saifudeen, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies Affairs at Rabdan Academy, highlighted ‘The Unexplored Role of Dramaturgy in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE),’ and Dr Alice Yang, Research Fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, addressed ‘Security and Resilience Awareness in Critical Infrastructure Protection; and H.E. Brigadier Ahmed Nasser Al Kindi, Director of Crisis and Disaster Management at Abu Dhabi Police, presented ‘First Responder Preparedness in Terrorist Threats’.
In the safety and security category, Prof Duncan Shaw, Professor of Critical Systems at the University of Manchester, presented on “Building Local Resilience Capabilities in Society.” Omar Jumaa Alkaabi from the National Guard Command discussed ‘Safety in Search and Rescue Operations, Integration in Facing Environmental Threats, and the Role of the First Responder and the Community’. Dr Edris Alam, Professor and Associate Researcher at Rabdan Academy, explored ‘Enhancing Community-based First Response,’ while Dr David Michael Mangan, Strategic Risk Manager at FGH Security, spoke on ‘The UK Police National Decision-Making Model in High-Threat Environments’.
Dr Eric Halford from Rabdan Academy presented “A Model for Delivering a Serial Crime Reduction Plan,” and Prof Adel Alshamry, CEO of the Emirates Medical Preparedness and Response Programme (Jaheziya), discussed ‘Measuring the Effectiveness of Jaheziya Program for Frontline First Responders Capacity Building’.
The second day commenced with an address by H.E. Salem Saeed Al Saeedi, Vice President of Rabdan Academy. This was followed by Lt. Col. Dana Humaid Al Marzooqi, Director-General of the International Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Interior, who discussed the “Ministry of Interior’s Initiatives for First Responders.” Lt. Col. Dr Ibrahim Mohamed Almarzouqi, Director of Strategic Planning and Institutional Development at Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, then spoke on “The Role of Community Partnership in Achieving Sustainable Safety.”
Dr Ahmed Ismail Al Hammadi, Sfrom Tawazun Council, presented on ‘Strategic Partnerships Contributing to National Resilience.’ H.E. Ibrahim Salman Al Hammadi, Executive Director of Government Performance and Excellence and General Coordinator of the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, spoke on ‘The UAE Government Performance and Excellence Model: Towards Readiness and Effective Response.’ H.E. Dr Abdulla Rashid Hamarain Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Response and Recovery Sector at the Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi, addressed ‘The Training and Exercise System – Crisis Management Platform’.
The Conference also featured a specialized panel discussion titled “The Future Needs for National Qualification in SSDEC”. Moderated by Saleha Omer Al Seiari, Director of Academic Accreditation & Vocational Quality Standards at Rabdan Academy, the panel brought together prominent experts in vocational education and national qualification development. Panellists included Col. Eng. Dawood Sulaiman Al Flaiti, Commander of the Military Qualifications Center at the Ministry of Defence; Col. Dr. Khlafan ?Saeed Al Naqbi, Director of Security Qualifications Center at the ministry of Interior; Dr. Khadija Ahmad Mohammad, Acting Director of the Higher Education Institutions Support at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; and Dr. Saeed Helal Al Blooshi, Project Manager of T-SAT at Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority.
The panel is the first of its kind in the UAE to underscore the importance of vocational education across safety, security, defence, emergency preparedness and crisis management sectors. It highlighted the best practices among awarding bodies and Accredited Training Providers, with aims to unify practices and improve training efficiency. The speakers shared insights and strategies for transforming training programs into accredited national qualifications, addressing key challenges in professional accreditation, and showcasing success stories in building national capabilities and advancing knowledge transfer.
The conference concluded with simulation exercises that demonstrated response strategies for emergencies and crises within realistic scenarios aligned with the conference’s three themes. Participants included Dr. Saleh Omar Binamro, from Rabdan Academy’s Vocational Education Affairs, contributing to the Fire Management theme; Dr. Saif Ahmed AlWahedi, from Rabdan Academy’s Vocational Education Affairs, participating in the Counter-Terrorism theme; and Major Saood Alkaabi, from Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority, participating in the Safety and Security theme.
The conference was supported by key strategic stakeholders of the Academy, showcasing their latest services and innovations. The Platinum sponsors included the Ministry of Defence, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, the National Guard Command, the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, and the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority. Gold sponsors included the Tawazun Council and Abu Dhabi Airports, while the Emirates Medical Preparedness and Response Programme (Jaheziya) served as a Silver sponsor. Furthermore, the Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Centre – Abu Dhabi contributed as a Bronze sponsor.
On the sidelines of the conference, several bilateral cooperation agreements were signed between the Academy and distinguished governmental and academic institutions, including Mutah University in Jordan and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority. These agreements are intended to strengthen collaboration in research and development and promote the exchange of expertise.