Deputy Director of Fire Affairs
UAE General Command of Civil Defence - MOI
Abu Dhabi , Abu Dhabi
Lieutenant Colonel Humaid Al Ali, DBA (AI), CFO (CPSE), serves as Deputy Director of Fire Affairs with the UAE General Command of Civil Defence – Ministry of Interior. With more than 19 years of progressive experience, he has advanced through diverse roles spanning large-scale event management—including Formula 1 racing and FIFA Club World Cup operations—fire prevention and public education, and fire safety innovation. His career includes leadership of national-level initiatives such as serving as Project Manager for the Smart Alarm Monitoring System for residential properties (Hassantuk) and Director of National Fire Station Development.
The UAE Civil Defence serves one of the world's most dynamic and rapidly developing regions, protecting a diverse population while supporting the Emirates' position as a global hub for commerce, tourism, and innovation. Lt. Col. Al Ali's leadership has been instrumental in modernizing operations and embedding data-driven decision-making across the organization.
Credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) by the Center for Public Safety Excellence's Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC), Lt. Col. Al Ali has been recognized as "Best Officer in the Civil Defense Sector" three times. He leverages deep project-management expertise and emerging technologies to drive transformational change in public safety operations.
A pioneer in technology integration, Lt. Col. Al Ali led the successful implementation of the RedCon software solution in 2018, which has been adopted at the national level and enabled the fire service to operate paperlessly while utilizing data analytics for strategic decision-making. His award-winning Axes Excellence Program introduced a culture of operational excellence within fire departments through a robust KPI methodology, resulting in measurable reductions in fire call volume and more strategic resource allocation. Additional innovations under his leadership include the integration of artificial intelligence in building plan review processes (Al Barwa) and development of the AM Leader program, a staff development initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of departmental leadership.
Lt. Col. Al Ali contributes actively to numerous committees at the national and international levels, including station development, strategic planning, firefighter well-being, fire laboratory standards, and excellence awards programs. His doctoral research focuses on the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence in public safety and security organizations, positioning the UAE at the forefront of smart emergency services.
An internationally recognized thought leader, Lt. Col. Al Ali is a frequent speaker at premier industry events including the NFPA Conference and Expo, Fire-Rescue International (FRI), the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Excellence Conference, and Technology Summit International (TSI) , where he shares best practices in fire service modernization, AI integration, and performance-driven organizational excellence.
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International Perspectives on Fire Service
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
2:15 PM - 2:40 PM CT