‘WE’RE READY TO RESPOND TO EXTERNAL THREATS TO THE UAE’
Alliances keep Emirates ‘in a good place,’ emergency chief insists
The UAE has been on high alert since the wave of regional unrest that began in 2011, which resulted in major security threats for the country, said the emergency management chief.
The uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa “led to the deterioration of security, slowed down development in those countries and increased tension in the Arab region”.
“Everyone, including the GCC, suffered from the repercussions of this wave of unrest,” Dr Jamal Al Hosani said. “Everyone is worried about what’s happening outside, but we don’t like to panic people, so we’re considering what’s going on around us.
“We’re sitting in a good place and we’d like to keep it that way, but we shouldn’t be naive about what’s happening around us.”
He said the unrest had caused profound changes in the region.
“Some countries remained coherent, while others have been shaken and have become a hotbed of terrorism and breeding grounds for extremism,” Dr Al Hosani said.
“The conflict between political interests intensified, opening the door to the intervention of countries in the affairs of other countries, and we cannot forget the tense economic conditions that affected their development, especially after the unexpected drop in the price of a barrel of oil.”
Iran is fuelling security tensions and manipulating the political compass, he said.
“Tehran’s destructive role by supporting terrorism and stirring up sectarian strife and conflict threatens the security of nations, harms their economies and increases the chances of crises,” Dr Al Hosani said.
“But it is important to establish close co-operation with each other on the basis of a common system of allied countries, to ensure our country’s security and to help overcome the challenges it could face in light of its geographical or economic position in these tough times.”
Analysts said that Iran represented
the only conventional military threat.
“The UAE built its defence industry as a reaction to this threat and Iran’s quantitative advantage is now balanced by the UAE’s qualitative edge and a number of international security alliances,” said Marc Martinez, of the Abu Dhabi think tank, the Delma Institute.
“Other security concerns are terrorism and political Islamism. The so-called Arab uprisings have been a significant source of instability in creating safe havens for extremists in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen,
which forced the UAE to be more assertive in addressing these threats.”
Mr Martinez said the UAE’s strategy had so far been successful.
“It used its conventional military forces to fight terrorists in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Yemen, and it also developed an innovative approach to counter violent extremism with the creation of Hedayah and the Sawab Centre,” he said.
“But as the UAE is increasing its regional presence out of the Arabian Peninsula, the country will have to factor in the defence of its interests abroad.”