A six-year-old girl who became separated from her family in Dubai was reunited with her parents within 30 minutes after police launched a search operation, Dubai Police said. Officers from Naif Police Station located the child shortly after receiving the report.
Dubai Police used the incident to remind parents and guardians to closely supervise young children in public places and teach them what to do and who to approach if they become lost.
Search launched immediately
Brigadier Omar Mousa Ashour, Director of Naif Police Station, said the station received a report from the Command and Control Centre at the General Department of Operations about a missing six-year-old girl in the Frij Al Murar area.
Officers immediately formed a search team and circulated the girl’s photograph among police patrols and investigation teams at the station.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the report, a patrol from Naif Police Station located the child on a street within the station’s jurisdiction.
How the child became lost
Brigadier Ashour said the girl’s father told police that he had taken his daughter to a grocery shop near their home. After finishing his shopping, he realised she was no longer with him.
Believing she had returned to their residential building, he went back home but found that she was not with her mother.
He searched the area around the building and, after failing to find her, contacted Dubai Police.
Found frightened and crying
When officers found the girl, she was crying and visibly frightened.
The patrol took her safely to Naif Police Station, where the Victim Communication Section cared for her until her father arrived. She was then reunited with her family.
Advice for parents
Following the incident, Dubai Police urged parents and guardians not to leave children unattended and stressed that families have a fundamental responsibility to protect young children from potential harm.
Police also encouraged parents to teach children how to respond if they become separated from their families, particularly in crowded places and public areas.
Children should know that they can approach police officers or security personnel for help if they become lost.
Dubai Police said the incident ended safely thanks to the swift response of its teams, but stressed that close supervision and proper preparation can help prevent a brief separation from becoming a more serious risk.
