More than 171,000 items were returned to their owners by Dubai Police in 2025, the result of an operation handling nearly 870,000 found objects across the emirate throughout the year.
The Lost and Found Department, operating under the General Department of Criminal Investigation, processed 868,110 recovered items while logging 159,962 separate loss reports submitted through police stations, designated drop-off locations including shopping centres, Smart Police Stations, and digital platforms.
Central to the department’s efficiency is an automated matching system that cross-references incoming loss reports against recovered property. Round-the-clock specialist teams manage the process, handling owner verification and coordinating flexible collection arrangements to reduce delays.
Residents have multiple options for retrieving recovered property, and the department maintains direct lines of communication with claimants throughout the process — an approach authorities say has driven high satisfaction rates and strengthened public confidence in police services.
Officials credited the volume of successful returns in part to the public’s willingness to surrender found items through official channels, framing the behaviour as a civic expression of honesty and collective responsibility.
Dubai Police also drew attention to a more specific concern: lost vehicle number plates, particularly relevant following recent bouts of rain and unsettled weather. Residents who discover their plates missing are directed to call 901 or visit a nearby police station, where dedicated teams handle recovery and follow up directly with registered vehicle owners.
For those unable to collect recovered plates themselves, Dubai Police has arranged a delivery option through Emirates Post.
