Nouf Al Balushi…the first Emirati woman to graduate from the British Defense Academy’s postgraduate programme

Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi, from the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center at the Dubai Police General Headquarters, is the first in the UAE to enroll and graduate from the graduate program at the Defense Academy at the Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom. She obtained a Master’s degree in Defense Systems Design and Simulation Engineering from Cranfield University, and she is the first to enroll. From the police and security sector in this field, which plays an important role in improving readiness and enhancing capabilities to face various challenges more efficiently.

This field is concerned with qualifying officers in the military and security technical fields, and simulating defense and security systems for several purposes, including training in virtual scenarios and developing the skills of leading defense systems development projects. It also enhances the ability to build virtual scenarios and environments to measure the systems’ performance and efficiency in performing assigned tasks, and the ability to Designing and developing multilateral field and virtual military operations, with technical and military linkage between them.

Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi works in the Design and Implementation Department of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center in the General Operations Department. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, and is a member of the Dubai Police drone network development project team, which aims to enhance… Police operations, linking artificial intelligence to “drones” operations, and developing and qualifying human cadres using simulation systems, in a way that enhances and ensures the sustainability of security and safety, protects society, and achieves the strategic goals of Dubai Police.

Qualification in specific specialties

Regarding this matter, Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs, said: Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, directly supports and follows up the process of qualifying, training and educating Dubai Police officers in specific specialties, which play a vital role in supporting and strengthening the system. Police work by providing specialized skills and knowledge that contribute to improving the efficiency of police operations and dealing with contemporary challenges, which has greatly contributed to the enrollment of Dubai Police employees in various specialized fields. Professional and academic quality, and they have achieved many achievements in the field of work.

Major General Al Ghaithi added: By supporting cadres and enrolling them to study advanced specializations, police agencies can improve their performance and enhance their ability to face various security challenges with greater flexibility and efficiency. This is what Dubai Police is pursuing, which is considered one of the most advanced, pioneering and proactive police agencies in its readiness for the future.

Competency development

For his part, Brigadier General Turki bin Faris, Director of the General Department of Operations, said that the department has a sophisticated and advanced system in the field of unmanned aircraft systems, and is constantly working to develop capabilities, whether in terms of technical, artistic, professional and operational performance, or in terms of developing the efficiency of the human resource, and that Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi is one of the examples of capable national competencies, who can be relied upon to achieve leadership in this field through the development of simulation systems at work.

Brigadier General Turki explained that the Defense Systems Design and Simulation Engineering specialty uses technology to provide a virtual environment that simulates reality for multiple purposes in the field of defense and security. Those enrolled in it receive training on virtual scenarios to deal with complex and dangerous scenarios in a safe and realistic environment. These scenarios can include several operations, including: Dealing with crises and disasters, as simulation helps leaders and planners improve their skills in making quick and correct decisions under pressure.

Brigadier General Turki bin Faris added: This environment provides an opportunity to learn and develop effective strategies to deal with challenges, and it can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of new systems and analyze their performance in various situations without risking lives or resources.

I feel proud…and this is the result of empowerment

In turn, Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi said: I feel proud that I am the first in the UAE to join and graduate from the graduate program at the Defense Academy at the Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom, and I obtain a Master’s degree in Defense Systems Design and Simulation Engineering from Cranfield University, and the first to enroll from the police and security sector in this field. Specialization, and this educational achievement is the result of the empowerment, support and faith of our wise leadership in its youth, and the keenness and support of the Dubai Police General Command to qualify its human cadres. I am also proud to raise the UAE flag in the official hall at the Ministry of Defense Academy in celebration of the first Emirati citizen from the Military Capabilities Integration College.

Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi explained that her educational choice dates back to the age of 13, when she was visiting the aviation exhibition in Dubai, and was impressed by what the exhibition contained in the field of the aviation sector. When she graduated from high school, she joined Khalifa University to study aerospace engineering, and after that the Dubai Police attracted her to work in The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center in the General Directorate of Operations, and then Dubai Police sent her to the postgraduate program at the Defense Academy at the Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom.

Lieutenant Nouf Al Balushi said: I extend my thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and to all Dubai Police leadership and to everyone who supported me in my professional and educational career, and I look forward to continuing to work with all effort and diligence and with sincerity and dedication, in order to achieve the best results that I can achieve. It will raise the level of performance at work and achieve goals that serve society.