Dubai Police arrest young man for celebrating his birthday by setting fire to a public street

Dubai Police arrested a young man who set fire to a public street using a highly flammable incendiary substance to celebrate his birthday, said Brigadier Juma Salem Bin Suwaidan, Director of General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police. 

The young man did so in an attempt to attract followers and achieve online popularity at the expense of his personal safety, the safety of the society and road users, he added. 

Turning public roads into an arena for dangerous stunts and filming videos for posting on social media to increase viewership is completely unacceptable behaviour and poses a serious danger to road users, he said. 

Bin Suwaidan explained that what the young man did was a clear violation of the traffic law and falls under the category of reckless behaviours that threaten lives and property. 

He pointed out that starting a fire in a public street not only exposed the driver himself and others to the risk of fire but also obstructed traffic and caused confusion for road users and damage to the road infrastructure and the surrounding environment. 

As soon as the video clip was circulated on social media, teams from the department analyzed the content of the video and identified the young man and the vehicle used in the stunt, he said, adding that the young man was summoned and legal measures were taken against him. 

The vehicle the young man used was also impounded and he was held accountable for the violations and damages resulting from his actions. 

Dubai Police will not tolerate anyone who uses public roads to carry out any kind of dangerous stunts in order to achieve false fame or digital gains, he said, stressing that these actions do not reflect the values of society and contradict the efforts made to make the emirate’s roads safe and free from reckless behaviour. 

Bin Suwaidan called on parents to monitor their children’s behaviour, educate them about the dangers of imitating negative content circulating on some platforms and remind them that seeking likes and views does not justify committing acts that endanger their lives and the lives of others or put them in violation of the law. 

He also urged young people to stay away from any reckless behaviour that could turn a moment of celebration or showoff into a painful accident or a criminal case, stressing that Dubai Police would continue to intensify patrols and smart monitoring systems to detect such practices and take firm action against offenders.