Safety Guide for International Students in the Middle East: Emergency Numbers, Scams, and Reporting Channels

By Muntasir • Published Mar 31, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Student Life

Table of Contents

TL;DR
How safe the Middle East is for students, by the numbers
Emergency numbers and reporting portals
Scams targeting international students in 2024-2025
Before you arrive
On arrival
Heat, road, and health risks
What to do if something goes wrong
Apps and platforms to install before classes start
Sources

TL;DR

Abu Dhabi held the world's safest city ranking on Numbeo's 2024 index with a safety score of 86.8, and the UAE keeps police on 999, ambulance on 998, and civil defence on 997. Saudi Arabia operates a unified 911 line in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province through the National Center for Security Operations, with legacy lines still active elsewhere. Carry these numbers, save your embassy contact, and report fraud through your host country's official portal before contacting the bank.

Emergency numbers by country:

Country	Police	Ambulance	Fire	Unified
UAE	999	998	997	112
Saudi Arabia	999	997	998	911
Qatar	999	999	999	999

Top risks reported in 2024-2025:

FBI impersonation scams targeting students from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan (IC3 alert, May 13, 2025)
Rental fraud on Facebook Marketplace and Dubizzle, with losses from Dh300 to Dh2,800 per victim (Khaleej Times, July 2025)
Heat exposure in summer, with 86.4 percent of UAE adults surveyed reporting heat exhaustion in a 2024 study

Reporting channels:

Dubai cybercrime: ecrime.ae
Abu Dhabi cybercrime: Aman service through ADPolice app, hotline 8002626
US students abroad: report fraud to IC3.gov

If you are heading to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Qatar to study, the first numbers to save are 999 (UAE police), 911 (Saudi Arabia unified emergency), and 999 (Qatar all-services). This guide gives you the reporting portals, scam patterns, and embassy steps you need before arrival, on landing, and during the semester.

How safe the Middle East is for students, by the numbers

Gulf cities lead global safety rankings. Abu Dhabi ranked first on Numbeo's 2024 city safety index with a safety score of 86.8, holding the top spot since 2017, according to Al Arabiya English and Zawya .

The 2024 Numbeo top 10 placed Doha third, Ajman fourth, Dubai fifth, Ras Al Khaimah sixth, and Muscat seventh, per the same Zawya summary. Dubai recorded a 38 percent drop in serious violent crime over the previous five years, reported by Businessday NG citing Dubai Police data.

Travel advisories shift with regional events, so check current US State Department status before booking flights. As of March 3, 2026, the US issued a Level 3 advisory for the UAE and ordered non-emergency staff to depart after hostilities began between the United States and Iran on February 28, 2026, per the US Embassy in the UAE .

Emergency numbers and reporting portals

Save these into your phone before you fly. Test 999 and 112 on a UAE SIM by dialing once after activation, since both numbers route to the same dispatch in the UAE.

UAE

Service	Number
Police	999
Ambulance	998
Civil Defence (fire)	997
Coast Guard	996
Unified emergency	112
MOI customer service	8005000
Tawasul (general assistance)	171

Sources: UAE Ministry of Interior lists police 999, ambulance 998, civil defence 997, MOI 8005000, and Tawasul 171. The Department of Digital Ajman lists Coast Guard 996 alongside the other UAE-wide lines. The international 112 line routes to 999 in the UAE.

Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services runs a free app called DCAS SOS, which pinpoints your GPS coordinates and dispatches help when you struggle to describe your location in Arabic or English.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia consolidated emergency response under the National Center for Security Operations (NCSO) starting in 2014, with 911 as the unified line in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, and the Eastern Province. Legacy lines remain active: police 999, ambulance 997, fire 998, per the Saudi National Portal .

Qatar

Qatar uses 999 for all emergency services. The Ministry of Interior operates the Metrash app for residents, which handles permit renewals, traffic violations, and incident reports.

Scams targeting international students in 2024-2025

FBI alert: government impersonation calls

On May 13, 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued PSA 250513 warning of a scheme targeting students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan. Scammers impersonate Department of Homeland Security, ICE, USCIS, or foreign embassy officials and accuse the student of violating F-1 visa terms.

The scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency, prepaid cards, or wire transfers, sometimes spoofing real embassy phone numbers and creating lookalike government websites with ".gov.org" or similar fake domains. The FBI's guidance: hang up, look up the official number independently, and call back to verify. Never share two-factor codes.

Rental fraud on social marketplaces

Khaleej Times reported on July 1, 2025 on a wave of Dubai rental scams hitting expats and students. Documented losses included Dh500 from a dental assistant to a Facebook Marketplace agent, Dh1,000 from a Tunisian expat in a second scam after a first Dh300 loss, and Dh2,800 from a digital marketing professional through a Dubizzle listing.

The pattern is consistent: a unit appears in a prime location (Dubai Marina, Sheikh Zayed Road, Barsha) at a rate well below market. The "agent" demands a booking deposit or documentation fee before viewing. After payment, the agent disappears.

To verify a Dubai listing, search the title deed and broker registration on the Dubai Land Department's Dubai REST app . Only deal with RERA-certified agents and insist on an in-person viewing before any payment.

Online shopping and bank impersonation

Al Arabiya reported in January 2024 on a wave of phone, SMS, and link-based scams impersonating banks, courier services, and government bodies. Common bait includes fake delivery fee SMS, fraudulent "salary increase" forms shared on WhatsApp, and bogus refund pages mimicking real bank logos.

Before you arrive

Register with your embassy in the host country. US students should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program .
Save embassy address, phone, and after-hours line in your phone and on paper.
Buy travel and health insurance covering your full stay. Qatar requires visitors to hold health insurance covering emergency and accident care, effective February 1, 2023, per the U.S. Embassy in Qatar .
Photograph your passport, visa, and acceptance letter, then store copies in encrypted cloud storage.
Read the latest travel advisory for your country. The US State Department Middle East page lists current advisories.
Confirm housing only after seeing the unit or through a university-approved provider.
Learn the script of your address in Arabic, since dispatch operators in remote areas often handle Arabic-only calls.

On arrival

Activate a local SIM the same day. Du and Etisalat in the UAE, STC and Mobily in Saudi Arabia, and Ooredoo in Qatar require your passport and visa stamp.
Test dial 999 in the UAE, 911 in Saudi Arabia, or 999 in Qatar to confirm the line connects, then hang up.
Download the official police app for your emirate or city: MoI UAE , Dubai Police , Abu Dhabi Police , Absher in Saudi Arabia, and Metrash2 in Qatar.
Collect your Emirates ID, Iqama, or QID within the deadline shown on your visa. Carry a copy at all times.
Open a local bank account using your campus address. Avoid sending money to any unverified party in the first month.
Walk through your campus security office. Note the on-campus emergency line, the closest hospital, and the security escort policy after dark.

Heat, road, and health risks

Summer temperatures in the UAE exceed 50 degrees Celsius. A peer-reviewed 2024 study in PMC surveyed 397 UAE adults and found 83.4 percent exposed to heat for more than two hours daily, with 86.4 percent reporting heat exhaustion and 43.1 percent reporting heat stroke symptoms.

UAE labor law bans outdoor work between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM from June 15 to September 15, per the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Apply the same window to your own outdoor activity. Carry water on every trip, and learn the signs of heat exhaustion (dizziness, nausea, clammy skin) versus heat stroke (no sweat, confusion, body temperature above 40 C). Related: safety guide for Europe and safety guide for South Asia.

Road traffic is the leading injury risk for residents. Use seatbelts in taxis, avoid pillion riding on delivery scooters, and never ride with a driver who has been drinking.

What to do if something goes wrong

Physical emergency

Call the local emergency number from any phone (works without SIM).
State your location, then the nature of the emergency. English works for UAE and Qatar dispatch, while Arabic helps in rural Saudi Arabia.
Stay on the line until the dispatcher releases you.
Notify your university's international office within 24 hours.
Notify your embassy if you are hospitalized or detained.

Theft or fraud

File a police report in person at the nearest station. You need a printed copy for insurance and bank reversal.
In the UAE, file cybercrime reports through Dubai Police's ecrime.ae portal or Abu Dhabi Police's Aman service via the ADPolice app, hotline 8002626. After submission you receive a case number for tracking, and acknowledgement typically arrives within several working days.
Call your bank's fraud line immediately to attempt a recall on wire transfers.
Save screenshots, transaction IDs, phone numbers, and any chat logs.
US citizens should also file with IC3.gov for impersonation scams.

Detention or legal trouble

Ask to call your embassy. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations entitles you to consular notification.
Do not sign documents in Arabic without a certified translator.
Request a lawyer. Several UAE law firms offer free consultations for students through embassy referral lists.

Apps and platforms to install before classes start

MoI UAE app: federal services including eCrime reporting (Google Play, App Store, AppGallery)
Dubai Police app: file reports, request police certificates, track cases
ADPolice app: Abu Dhabi police services and Aman cybercrime reporting
DCAS SOS: Dubai ambulance with GPS locator
Absher: Saudi government services including ID renewal and travel permits
Metrash2: Qatar Ministry of Interior services
STEP (US students): travel alerts and embassy contact, run by the US State Department