UAE firm on Yemen mission, Emirati troops return to heroes’ welcome

Abu Dhabi: On the day the first batch of Emirati troops came back from Yemen to a grand welcome, the UAE said the armed forces will remain in the war-torn country till the legitimate government is restored.

“I would like to say to the Yemeni people that we will stand by them to restore the legitimate government. As soon as the legitimate government is restored our troops will return to their barracks [in the UAE],” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, told Abu Dhabi TV  after a reception for the troops at the Sweihan military camp.

After seven months of deployment in Yemen as part of Saudi-led operations — Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope — a 15-km-long army convoy made its way from Ghuwaifat to Sweihan where a welcome ceremony was held in the presence of Shaikh Mohammad and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

In a statement, Shaikh Mohammad said: “The honourable performance of our Armed Forces in the battlefield and their effective contribution towards the victories of the Arab coalition in Yemen are the best proof that our soldiers maintain high defence and combat readiness, which ensures that our country possesses a shield that protects its soil and a sword that guarantees its security and the safety of it people.”

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed said the participation of the UAE’s gallant Armed Forces  in Yemen operation adds a new chapter to the nation’s glory, to the history of the UAE military, renowned for sacrifices and achievements and to the history of the country in support of the righteousness, a legacy of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Heroes' welcome for UAE troops

Pride in the UAE’s soldiers and the parents who raised them was the sentiment His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed on Saturday for the first batch of UAE Armed Forces troops returning to the country.

After nine months of military service in war-torn Yemen under Operation Restoring Hope, a 15-km-long army convoy made its way from Ghuwaifat (UAE-Saudi border) to Sweihan to attend a welcome ceremony in the presence of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Thousands of Emiratis cheering enthusiastically and zealously waving the UAE flag were at the celebrations attended by UAE leaders, top officials and the heroes at the Sweihan military camp where sentiments of overwhelming joy for the troops’ safe return were shared.

“These soldiers have mettle, I can assure you that [the returned soldiers] would love to be with their colleagues in Yemen if they had the chance to. Thankfully … we have an army that we can be proud of. We are also proud of their mothers and fathers who raised them and have made them such [brave] men. Our hearts are with those who have departed to fight in Yemen and, hopefully, they will achieve victory soon,” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid said on the sidelines of the celebrations.

“The Yemeni public are like family to one another and our aim is not to kill our brothers but to restore legitimacy to the neighbouring country. Once that has happened, we will greet them and bid them farewell,” he added.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed greeted soldiers with the military salute and a handshake as they exchanged brief conversation and words of encouragement.

Brigadier General Ali Saif Al Kaabi, who was present at the celebrations and had led the coalition forces in Marib, told Gulf News: “The operation in Marib was difficult due to the area’s mountainous terrain and its strategic importance for all the parties on the ground. However, the coalition and UAE forces managed to defeat the Al Houthi rebels with the help of the Yemeni people’s resistance and armed tribes in Marib province.”

Similarly, soldier Murad Al Beloushi, who participated in the liberation of Marib, said: “Thank God for the achievements that the UAE has made in response to the Yemeni people’s cry for help to bring legitimacy back to the country. In Marib and Bab Al Mandab, the UAE forces faced difficulties due to the areas’ geographical nature and their closeness to highly populated residential areas. However, by continuously cooperating with the habitants of those zones and the Yemenis’ resilience and generosity in hospitality and providing us with the information we needed to get to the enemy, we managed to infiltrate the location of the Al Houthi rebels’ headquarters and their artillery storage units.”

Regularly making fervent comments on the troops’ safe return, Dr Anwar Al Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, continuously praised the troops’ bravery and strength.

“How beautiful it is to be an Emirati today and every day,” he said. His statement reflected the heartfelt joy experienced by citizens on this iconic day.

“The brave soldiers, the returning children of the UAE, have changed the course of the war and had achieved goals of keeping rebellion at bay. The troops have undergone a prosperous endeavour which had witnessed the liberation of Aden and victories at … Marib and the strategic Bab Al Mandab strait,” he added.

The top officials in Sweihan attended a military parade awash flowing with red, green, white and black — the colours of the UAE flag, which fluttered gracefully in the winds of pride and heroism.

The events were held to welcome the first batch of UAE Armed Forces, who were replaced with a second team that commenced its work in Yemen on November 2 as part of the strategic rotation of troops.

Over 10,000 Emiratis and residents at the Sweihan military camp greeted the military convoy returning from Yemen after it had departed from the Ghuwaifat (UAE-KSA) border at 6am today (Saturday) and made its way centre stage.

Men, women, adults and children alike all stood at the Ghuwaifat area, waving the UAE flag while proudly flaunting pictures of the country’s leaders to welcome the first batch of UAE Armed Forces soldiers as they crossed the border into the country.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Zaghloul, researcher at the Emirates Centre for Strategies Studies and Research, said: “The Emirati forces have contributed to maintaining national safety in the UAE and GCC countries. The UAE has proven its major strategic role in the region and the customary image of the UAE and GCC countries has changed to show that these countries are capable of facing dangers and challenges using their own strengths and efforts to do so.”

Earlier at Marfa, around 2,000 people gathered after morning prayers to welcome the first batch of troops.

“The UAE Armed Forces played a fundamental role in liberating the Marib dam, which was rebuilt by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and inaugurated in 1986,” a report on Abu Dhabi TV said.

By Abdulla Rasheed, Abu Dhabi Editor and Maisoon Mubarak and Nada Al Taher, Staff Reporters