Adhraa Al Zaabi is Abu Dhabi Police’s first female officer to specialise in crime scene sketching

First Warrant Officer Adhraa Obaid Al Zaabi is a shining example of Emirati women in security work. She became the first female officer in Abu Dhabi Police to specialise in sketching crime scenes using 3D scanning technology.

Since joining the police force in 2010, Adhraa has achieved exceptional accomplishments, combining academic and professional excellence. She attained a master’s degree in strategic business administration, paving her way in one of the most challenging areas of police work.

Adhraa began her police career working as a crime scene investigator in the Criminal Reports Branch. During this period, her duties focused on analysing fingerprints, photographing corpses and collecting samples from crime scenes. She worked in this field for seven years, gaining extensive experience that enabled her to handle the most dangerous and sensitive reports.

In 2017, she moved to work in the Evidence and Documents Repository as a forensic evidence keeper, a position she held until 2019. However, the fundamental change in her career came at the beginning of 2020, when she joined the work as an investigator in crime scene sketching using 3D scanning technology.

“My superiors provided me with the most significant support in this direction and encouraged me to be one of the first women to join this field. I was then selected to be part of the elite team responsible for handling important reports and participated in numerous special missions inside and outside the UAE within the framework of Abu Dhabi Police,” Adhraa said.

As far as her work at the crime scene is concerned, Adhraa says, “This work requires precision and courage as dealing with criminal reports demands composure and ability to ignore any touching scenes we might see at the site of an accident.”

Speaking about her future ambitions, Adhraa told the Ministry of Interior’s police community magazine that she seeks to continue learning and developing herself in the field of analysing and combating crimes, noting that fingerprinting, analysis and documentation are among the most exciting and innovative fields.

Adhraa advised the Emirati women interested in joining the police and security sector not to set limits on their abilities and potential. They must be honest and courageous and choose new areas in police work that contribute to serving their country, she said.