Dubai, May 06: UAE’s founding fathers shaped the doctrine of the armed forces guided by a value system of faith, belonging, loyalty, sacrifice and pride.
The President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that UAE’s founding fathers shaped the doctrine of the armed forces guided by a value system of faith, belonging, loyalty, sacrifice and pride.
In a speech to Dira Al Watan magazine on the 34th Anniversary of the Unification of the UAE Armed Forces, Shaikh Khalifa said the doctrine focuses on the dedication to law, respect for others, rights, national sovereignty, pride and dignity.
Shaikh Khalifa also asserted that the armed forces participation in international peacekeeping efforts in more than one location comes from these principles.
He added that the armed forces demonstrated high efficiency which is appreciated by the international community.
Shaikh Khalifa said the unification of the UAE Armed Forces in 1976 came as a natural response to the will, aspirations and hopes of the people of UAE.
“As we pursue constantly what is happening in the field of training, acquiring the latest weapons and equipment and our efforts to enhance capabilities and capacities, we feel so proud and encouraged with our troops’ capacity and rapid absorption of advanced defence technologies and modern logistics systems,” he said.
Shaikh Khalifa said the unification of the UAE Armed Forces celebration is not just a celebration of military capability but also an occasion to confirm the commitment to dialogue and peaceful ways as means to address all issues and adhere to international laws.
Unification was no easy task
The structure of the UAE federation would have not been completed without a common defence policy under the command of a united national army, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said on Wednesday.
“This was not an easy task as in most contemporary unitary models the job of unification of several armies into one army was the toughest mission. The costs were heavy but our founding fathers overcame this hardship with their wisdom. They took the unification process step by step until they built a strong army that became the shield of the nation and defender of its sovereignty, independence and its gains and deter all adventurers and plotters,” Shaikh Mohammed said in an a statement to Dira Al Watan magazine on the occasion of 34th anniversary of the Armed Forces Unification Day.
“The 6th of May 1976 will remain a bright day in our life, and will be cherished in our history, consciousness and national memory, ” Shaikh Mohammed said, describing as an epic the building and transformation of the armed forces from small, scattered and primitively armed units into a national army having a common defence doctrine, one command, and one flag.
The Vice-President said he had the honour to see over the last 34 years the evolution of the armed forces and how the dream turned into a reality and how the seed grew into a big tree with bumper fruits.
Shaikh Mohammed called on the armed forces officers and personnel to maintain their firm faith, high morale and good attributes and to turn enthusiastically to training, developing their capacities and sharpen their knowledge to keep abreast of the modern age.
Shaikh Mohammed renewed allegiance to the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and paid tribute to him for his continuous care and support for the advancement of the armed forces to become one of the most competent and sophisticated armies in the region and the world at large.
UAE ushered into a new era
The historic resolution of the unification of the armed forces May 6, 1976 unleashed potential energies towards a holistic, massive development and upgrading of the armed forces based on scientific methods, Gen. Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said on Wednesday.
“The move to unify the armed forces marked a fresh era in the history of the UAE armed forces, Gen. Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed said in a statement to Dira Al Watan magazine.
“Armed with persistence and determination and aided by the other founding leaders, the late founding father Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan set out on that glorious day to build our armed forces to become the defence shield of the nation’s sovereignty, security, stability, achievements and gains and safeguard the future of its generations,” Gen. Shaikh Mohammed said.
“The President instructed that all energies and resources be mobilised to bolster the role our armed forces play in the security and stability equation in the Gulf and Middle East and establish our prominent standing of our country in the map of today’s world,” Gen. Shaikh Mohammed added.
“Modernising our armed forces to become one of the most advanced armies is a strategic target that is deeply entrenched in the military conscience of the top command of the military and its personnel. We will steam ahead with our efforts to arrive at this goal through massive structural, administrative, organisational and technological development and provision of equipment and systems that enable our armed forces play its outstanding role in our region, Arab area and pursue its effective contributions in serving causes of international peace and security,’ he said.
–Agencies