United Arab Emirates Advances National Preparedness Against CBRN Crimes Through Table-Top Exercise and CBRN Criminalisation Workshop

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a major step to strengthen its national capacity to prevent, investigate and prosecute Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) crimes through a comprehensive programme of exercises and training, implemented under the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative. The programme is co-funded by the European Union and the UAE Attorney General’s Office, with technical support from UNICRI. 

Launch of a comprehensive CBRN capacity-building programme 

The programme was officially launched on 24 November 2025 in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.E. Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, Attorney General of the UAE, reaffirming the country’s commitment to national security, justice and the rule of law. Senior representatives from the UAE, the European Union and UNICRI highlighted the importance of international cooperation and legal preparedness in addressing complex CBRN threats. 

Table-top exercise: strengthening operational coordination 

From 25 to 26 November 2025, a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) was hosted at the Federal Public Prosecution in Abu Dhabi, bringing together 46 participants from across the UAE’s criminal justice and security institutions, including prosecutors, judges, investigators, law enforcement agencies, forensic experts and regulatory authorities. A representative of the Qatar Public Prosecution also participated. 

Through simulated biological and chemical incident scenarios, participants: 

• tested inter-agency coordination and crisis-response mechanisms;
• practised evidence collection, forensic handling and information-sharing procedures; and
• assessed the effectiveness of legal and operational frameworks across the criminal justice chain. 

The exercise built on EU-supported methodologies and introduced the Prosecutor’s Guides to CBRN Crimes as practical tools for handling complex investigations and prosecutions. 

Advancing legal preparedness through CBRN criminalisation 

Complementing the operational exercise, the UAE also launched a CBRN Criminalisation Workshop, part of a broader programme running from November 2025 to April 2026. The workshop focused on strengthening national legal frameworks and aligning them with international conventions related to non-proliferation, chemical security, biosafety and nuclear material protection. 

The initiative brought together prosecutors, legal experts, investigators and technical authorities to: 

• map existing legislation and identify gaps;
• strengthen criminal definitions related to misuse, illicit trafficking and unauthorised possession of CBRN and dual-use materials; and
• ensure that security measures are balanced with human rights and due process guarantees. 

Uniquely, the workshop connected expertise from across the international CBRN ecosystem—covering chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear domains—offering a coordinated and comprehensive approach to criminalisation. 

Regional leadership and strategic partnership with the EU 

Beyond national capacity building, the UAE expressed its intention to integrate selected training modules into its national curricula and to serve as a regional training hub for Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region. This approach strengthens regional resilience and promotes cross-border cooperation. 

This joint initiative reflects the strategic partnership between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates in addressing high-risk security threats. By reinforcing legal preparedness, operational readiness and institutional cooperation, the programme contributes to regional stability and positions the UAE as a key partner in global efforts to counter CBRN risks. 

Why this matters 

By combining operational exercises with legal and judicial capacity building, the UAE is: 

• strengthening its ability to respond to complex and non-conventional threats;
• reinforcing the rule of law and judicial readiness; and
• contributing to international cooperation on CBRN risk mitigation and counter-terrorism. 

As CBRN threats continue to evolve, the UAE’s proactive engagement under the EU CBRN CoE Initiative offers a strong example of integrated, sustainable and values-based security cooperation.