Abu Dhabi, 30 September 2026: The Rabdan Security and Defence Institute (RSDI) at Rabdan Academy, in collaboration with the Kuwait Institute for Criminal Research & Analysis (KICRA), hosted a specialised webinar titled “AI-Enabled Crime in the Gulf: Emerging Threats and Responses”, bringing together international experts to examine emerging criminal threats associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and their implications for policing, criminal investigations and regional security.
The webinar attracted over 400 participants and provided a platform for examining the evolving nature of AI-enabled crime, the challenges facing law enforcement agencies and approaches to strengthening institutional capabilities in response to rapidly advancing technologies.
The panel featured Dr. Jack Harding, Interim Manager of Rabdan Security and Defence Institute; Dr. Khaled Alnkhailan, Head of Research at the Kuwait Institute for Criminal Research & Analysis and Associate Professor of Criminology; and Ms. Rieke Labutina of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, representing the INTERPOL Global Academy Network. The session was moderated by Professor Jaco Barkhuizen, Chair of the Policing and Security Programme at Rabdan Academy.
Discussions focused on the emerging threats posed by AI-enabled criminal activities, their implications for security and criminal investigations across the Gulf region, and the need for law enforcement institutions to adapt to increasingly sophisticated technological challenges. The panel also highlighted the importance of specialised expertise, institutional preparedness and international cooperation in developing effective responses to evolving criminal threats.
The webinar recorded strong engagement, reaching a peak of 340 concurrent participants and generating 337 hours of total viewing time. Notably, 76% of participants attended for more than 45 minutes, while 64% remained for over an hour, reflecting sustained interest in the security implications of AI-enabled crime.
The webinar reflects RSDI's continued efforts to advance specialised research and informed dialogue on emerging security challenges, while strengthening regional and international cooperation and knowledge exchange. Through such initiatives, RSDI seeks to bridge academic research and professional practice, contributing to institutional readiness and more effective responses to emerging security threats in the Gulf region and beyond.
