The prize money for the UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai has been increased from $170,000 to $260,000. The fifth edition of the competition for special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams will start on February 3 at the Training City in Al Ruwayyah.
Hosted by the Dubai Police, the challenge will be held until February 7. Residents and tourists can watch the event for free. Visitors can join in and participate in their own SWAT-style competitions. They can explore cooking stations at a special heritage village or try on local outfits at stalls.
This year’s challenge has registered record participation with 87 teams from 48 countries, including five all-women and two mixed teams.
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Participating teams have to champion the different challenges for the grand prize. The top team will win $80,000, followed by $40,000 for the second, $30,000 for the third, and $15,000 for the fourth. The rest of the top 10 teams will win cash prizes as well.
Daily challenges will be awarded, with the first-place team receiving $5,000, followed by $3,000 and $2,000 for second and third teams.
Teams will compete in five challenges: Tactical competition, obstacle course, officer rescue, tower challenge, and assault competition. Each challenge requires tactical skill, physical ability, and proficiency.
The Dubai Police have also announced a special edition of its e-sports tournament. Forty players will compete in two games across eight teams. The competition will feature ‘Counter Strike 2’ and ‘Valorant’, with prize money totalling Dh50,000.
Eight new teams are joining the competition for the first time this year. The 2024 edition of the challenge is the largest in the number of teams competing.