Page 108 - ADCMC PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2024

Rabdan Academy’s 2nd Centres of Excellence

conference advancing expertise in fields of safety,

security and defence

Rabdan Academy will host the second edition of the Centres of Excellence 2024 Conference under
the theme Agility and Resilience of First Responders, in Abu Dhabi on 30-31 October.
The conference aims to enhance cooperation among relevant authorities in fire management,
counterterrorism, and safety and security at local, regional and global levels. This contributes to the
enhancement of specialised capabilities in the fields of safety, security, defence, emergency
preparedness and crisis management. The event will feature experts and specialists within the
industry, providing detailed insights about accelerating global challenges and developments. Over
the course of two days, participants will discuss the role of artificial intelligence in combatting
terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, and managing fires in high-risk environments.

This edition of the conference focuses on multiple strategic themes and will host panel discussions
regarding the future needs for national qualifications, volunteer firefighter programmes and
national decision-making model in high-risk environments. The discussions will also highlight the
importance of coordinating enhanced firefighting services on warships and providing participants
with a comprehensive overview of the latest challenges and innovations in firefighting and crisis
management.

The conference, supported by key strategic stakeholders of the academy, aims to contribute to its
overarching objectives. Platinum sponsors include the Ministry of Defence, the National
Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Authority, the National Guard Command, the Abu
Dhabi Police General Headquarters, and the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority. The Tawazun
Council and Abu Dhabi Airports join as Gold sponsors, while the Emirates Medical Preparedness
and Response Program Jaheziya serves as a Silver sponsor. Furthermore, the Emergency, Crisis,
and Disaster Management Center - Abu Dhabi is the Bronze sponsor for the event.

His Excellency James Anthony Morse, President of Rabdan Academy, emphasised the importance
of this conference in achieving the academy's vision and strategy to develop and qualify national
and global cadres in the fields of safety, defence and crisis management. He noted that organising
the second edition of the conference is in response to the directives of the wise leadership of the
UAE to enhance national resilience and preparedness to deal with emergency challenges. He
added that the conference aims to synergise efforts among relevant entities, exchanging expertise,
knowledge, and best practices to develop the capabilities of first responders and ensure rapid
response to emergency incidents.

He said: “We believe in the importance of developing innovative and integrated solutions to
enhance the resilience of the safety, defence and crisis management sectors, and to elevate the
level of coordination among the relevant authorities. This contributes to achieving better results in
dealing with various emergencies, in line with the academy's mission, which was established to be
a specialised educational institution providing advanced academic and professional programmes,

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conference-advancing-expertise-in-fields-of-safety-security-and-defence/