Multi-million dollar UAE training centre set to transform rescue preparedness

A new multi-million dollar Security and Rescue Training Center (SRTC) is due to open in the United Arab Emirates, offering advanced mission-based training for emergency services, law enforcement and specialist response teams from across the world.

The facility, a partnership between Sahra Group and AMST Group, is being described as the first commercial centre of its kind globally, and is designed to support high-risk training for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), police, fire and rescue, military units and other critical response organisations.

Due to open in 2028, the centre will act as a regional hub for advanced operational training across the Middle East and beyond, with capacity to train up to 4,500 personnel each year. This will include police, coastguard, civil defence, ambulance services, fire services, armed forces and special operations teams, alongside commercial sectors such as oil, gas and tourism.

At the heart of the SRTC will be a series of high-fidelity simulation environments designed to replicate some of the most dangerous emergency scenarios faced by frontline crews. These will include helicopter hoist training systems, fast roping and rappelling towers, Helicopter Underwater Egress Trainers (HUET), maritime rescue simulators and large-scale water rescue environments.

The centre will also feature helicopter simulators suspended on crane systems, designed to replicate the motion, sound and conditions of real flight operations, alongside vessel simulators and controlled environmental conditions such as darkness, high noise levels and rotor downwash.

Developers say the aim is to allow emergency responders to train in realistic, repeatable conditions without the cost, risk and operational disruption of live exercises. It is also expected to reduce reliance on real aircraft for training, freeing them up for frontline deployment.

According to the project partners, the centre will enable more efficient and safer training delivery, with simulation allowing personnel to gain significantly more operational experience in less time compared to live exercises. It is also expected to deliver major cost efficiencies, with helicopter-based training currently estimated to cost up to $10,000 per hour, alongside environmental benefits through reduced emissions.

Jamal Alkaf, CEO of Sahra Group, said the facility represents a step-change in mission-critical training capability.

“This facility represents a significant investment in the future of mission-critical training and positions the UAE at the forefront of global capability development. As the first facility of its kind, it brings together advanced simulation, integrated environments, and full-spectrum training in a way that simply does not exist today.”

Jamal Alkaf, CEO of Sahra Group

Wolfgang Lindlbauer of AMST Group said the centre would allow teams to rehearse complex, high-pressure scenarios in controlled conditions, improving readiness for real-world operations. He added that the training would help personnel build “instinct, precision, and confidence” across scenarios ranging from water rescue to helicopter operations.

As well as emergency response, the facility will support training for infrastructure and industrial missions, including work on offshore installations, wind turbines, power lines and telecommunications equipment, where helicopter-assisted operations are routinely required.

Construction is underway, with Sahra Group and AMST targeting completion and official opening in the first half of 2028.

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