Dubai [UAE], September 18: Dubai Police, in cooperation with the National Anti-Doping Agency and Dubai Sports Council, organised the Anti-Doping in Sport Forum under the theme "Protecting Sport, Protecting Society".
Held at the Dubai Police Officers Club, the forum brought together experts and specialists to raise awareness of doping risks and their impact on athletes and the wider sports sector.
Major General Badran Al Shamsi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Academy and Training Affairs at Dubai Police, said the forum reflects a shared responsibility to protect athletes' health and future, preserve the integrity of competition and reinforce the values of integrity, transparency and fairness.
He said combating doping requires proactive measures that strengthen preventive awareness and help athletes better understand what enters their bodies and their responsibilities towards themselves, their teams and the wider community.
Al Shamsi added that prevention is a fundamental pillar of comprehensive security and that protecting society begins with awareness.
Mai Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Chairperson of the National Anti-Doping Agency, said 2027 represents an important stage in developing the clean sport system, with changes extending beyond rules and procedures to reflect scientific, technological and legal developments in anti-doping.
She said the UAE has developed its anti-doping framework in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and international standards.
Al Jaber highlighted the shift from focusing on the number of tests conducted towards smarter, risk-based testing, supported by data analysis, information exchange and cooperation between anti-doping organisations, sports federations and relevant entities.
She also pointed to scientific developments including wider use of the Athlete Biological Passport and advances in sample-collection techniques, stressing the importance of protecting athletes' rights and data.
The forum featured sessions by Valeria Grimen, Head of Results Management at the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, on legal and disciplinary aspects and Therapeutic Use Exemptions, and Veronika Loginova on scientific and medical developments in anti-doping.
Source: Emirates News Agency
