Quality of Life Center - Dubai Police H.Q

For the PMA judges, Dubai Police HQ’s Quality of Life Centre was the “clear winner” of the best health and wellbeing initiative in the public/third sector, with the word ‘comprehensive’ consistently used by the panel. “This presentation left the panel speechless,” they said. 

The Quality of Life Centre, the first dedicated wellbeing entity within a police or military institution in the region, was launched in 2023 to institutionalise wellbeing as a strategic function, integrating mental, physical and emotional health into the core of organisational planning and leadership accountability. Central to this vision was the Quality of Life Strategic Framework, a nine-axis model spanning three key directions: thriving employees, connected communities and ‘a flourishing nation’.

This framework was developed in direct response to a growing wellbeing crisis within the police force. Law enforcement officers face unique and relentless psychological pressures such as exposure to trauma, rotating shifts, high-risk environments and intense public scrutiny. Over time, these pressures began to manifest as widespread emotional exhaustion, declining morale and increased burnout, especially in frontline and high-stress units.

Internal data revealed concerning trends: rising sick leave, disengagement and a clear hesitation among officers to seek help because of the stigma. Despite their critical role in public safety, officers lacked access to safe, confidential and culturally sensitive support systems.

Traditional mental health services were not sufficient or trusted and the absence of unified wellbeing standards across departments resulted in inconsistent care and fragmented support.

“It elevated wellbeing to a strategic level – embedding emotional resilience, psychological readiness and workplace quality of life into the core operations of the organisation,” they explain. “The framework centralised efforts under the Quality of Life Center, introduced real-time psychological support, trained wellbeing ambassadors and ensured leadership accountability. It shifted the internal culture from silence to support, from stigma to openness.” 

The organisation has seen “the ripple effect of alignment across departments” as over time an increasing number began developing their own wellbeing initiatives in line with the central framework, “embedding its values into localised practices and making wellbeing an integral part of their day-to-day operations” – demonstrating that the framework had moved from concept to culture.

“Fascinatingly innovative and profoundly detailed, the culture of wellbeing is clearly embedded in every part of the employee lifecycle,” the judges said.