ABU DHABI: The UAE celebrates the anniversary of the Army Unification Day on May 6 every year, and on the occasion of the 41st anniversary, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and the Rulers of the Emirates, paid glowing tributes to the Federal Supreme Council, when it was led by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on its historic resolution to unify the UAE Armed Forces 40 years ago.
The importance of creating a strong-armed force in a geographically volatile region was first recognised by the visionary leader and father of the nation, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Immediately after the new Federation of the United Arab Emirates was formed out of seven emirates, he laid emphasis on a strategy to develop a strong army to protect the fledgling nation. His words categorically stated the underlying peaceful principle behind the idea when he said, “We are building an army not with the purpose of aggression or fighting another country, not for eventual expansion, but merely for defence.”
The UAE Armed Forces today is a cohesive well-integrated force, equipped with some of the most modern weapon systems.
The UAE has been a trusted partner in the international fight against terrorism. UAE Armed Forces joined the United States and other Western countries in combating extremist forces in Libya, Syria, Iraq and other parts of the world. The UAE Armed Forces have upheld the nation’s firm policy of containing terrorism in the interest of international peace.
