10.4 Special Event and Crowd Security

Quick Answer: Events such as concerts, exhibitions, matches, summits and VIP visits bring large crowds and changing risks to one place for a short time. Event guards check accreditation and bags, manage queues and crowd flow, keep exits and emergency routes clear, follow the security plan and the police observer's instructions, and report through disciplined radio use. At sports events, Federal Law No. 8 of 2014 sets duties for organisers and fines and prison terms for spectators who break its rules.

Event security in the regulations

• Events security is a separate company licence category (Article 17 of Ministerial Decision No. 557). The published fee schedule lists AED 10,000.
• Private events security guard is an individual licence category (Article 90).
• Article 93 lets a company obtain an event security guard licence for people it does not sponsor. They must meet all the conditions for security guards, have a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Labour, work only at events and exhibitions, and not work full-time for the company.
• NSI's Special Event Security Course covers types and phases of events, roles and duties, emergency response, security operations, radio communication and media, access control, crowd management, traffic and car park security, report writing, fire and evacuation, X-ray and inspection devices, and basic first aid.

Phases of an event operation

Federal Law No. 8 of 2014 on sports facilities and events security

• Approval: every sports event needs the approval of the Competent Authority, meaning the police general headquarters of the emirate (Article 4).
• Security officers: each sports facility and organising entity appoints a security officer, approved by the department responsible for private security companies (Article 6). The facility security officer carries out searches of people and vehicles at entry points in coordination with the police observer (Article 7). The event security officer coordinates entrances, exits, emergency access and, with the police observer, traffic and parking (Article 8).
• Chain of command: facility and event security officers must follow the police observer's instructions (Article 9).
• Private security: the facility or organiser must contract a licensed private security company, whose staff work under the facility and event security officers (Article 10).
• Facilities: venues must provide special spaces for VIPs, disabled people and the elderly, and a direct communication system with the audience (Article 12).

Spectator obligations and penalties

Under Article 17, spectators must not:

1. (a) enter the field of play or a restricted area without permission;
2. (b) bring prohibited or dangerous items, especially fireworks;
3. (c) breach the rules on carrying weapons;
4. (d) commit, join, incite or attempt violence;
5. (e) throw substances or liquids at others or onto the field;
6. (f) use insulting language or gestures or make racist statements;
7. (g) leave their allocated seats;
8. (h) use the venue for political purposes.

Breaching (a), (b), (c) or (g) carries 1 to 3 months' imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 5,000 to AED 30,000 (Article 18). Breaching (d), (e), (f) or (h) carries imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 10,000 to AED 30,000 (Article 19). The guard's job is to prevent these acts through screening and stewarding and to report offenders to the police observer, not to punish them.

Crowd management

Density and flow. Danger comes from too many people in too small a space, or a crowd moving faster than an exit can take them. Watch for:

• people pressed together and unable to move freely;
• surging, swaying or people falling;
• queues that back up into roads or stairways;
• people climbing fences or barriers to escape pressure.

Actions:

• Report rising density early on the radio, using the exact location.
• Never let a crowd press against a closed gate or barrier. Open alternative routes as the plan allows.
• Stop people walking against the main flow on stairs and in tunnels.
• Use calm, clear voice instructions and public address messages instead of shouting.
• Keep emergency routes and exits unlocked and unobstructed for the whole event.

Lost children. Take the child to the agreed lost-child point, keep them with a staff member (a female colleague where appropriate), never alone with one guard, and pass the description by radio.

Accreditation, screening and media

• Check that accreditation passes match the zone the person is entering, such as public, hospitality, media, back-of-house or field of play. A pass for one zone does not open the others.
• Screen bags and people according to the event plan (Sections 6.2 and 6.3). X-ray and metal detectors are listed in NSI's special-event course.
• Media: do not give interviews or comments. Refer journalists to the event's media team.

Radio discipline at events

Events can overload radio channels. Keep messages short and give the location first: "Control, Gate 4. Crowd pressure building at the turnstiles. Request the stewards' team." Keep the emergency channel or priority clear for incidents (Section 9.1).

Section summary checklist

• Events: a separate company licence (Article 17) and guard licence (Article 90). Article 93 covers non-sponsored, part-time event guards with a Ministry of Labour NOC.
• Federal Law 8/2014: police approval (Article 4); follow the police observer (Article 9); contract a licensed security company (Article 10).
• Spectator offences: (a, b, c, g) 1–3 months and/or AED 5,000–30,000; (d, e, f, h) imprisonment and/or AED 10,000–30,000.
• Crowd safety: watch density and flow, and never let a crowd press against a closed gate.
• Accreditation zones, screening, no media comments, location-first radio messages.