UAE faced ‘sleeper cell’ threats during Iranian attacks, Al Nuaimi says
Iran-linked espionage networks raise concerns across Gulf and Arab nations
Abu Dhabi: Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee at the Federal National Council (FNC), said the UAE faced multiple security challenges during the Iranian missile and drone attacks earlier this year, noting that the threats extended beyond aerial strikes to include what he described as “sleeper cells” that helped Iranian forces direct their attacks.
Speaking at the UAE Correspondents’ Council in Dubai on Thursday, Al Nuaimi explained that the UAE sought to strike a balance between protecting residents and ensuring that daily life continued, keeping public facilities, including shopping malls, restaurants and beaches, open while implementing the necessary measures to address security threats.
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He said managing the situation required addressing complex challenges, including intercepting missiles and drones, monitoring and identifying potential threats, particularly around sensitive sites, without imposing unnecessary restrictions on residents’ movements and everyday activities.
Al Nuaimi stressed that maintaining normal daily life was an integral part of the UAE’s approach to the developments, alongside protecting the community and managing the security risks posed by the attacks.
UAE’s daily life astonishes Israeli visitors
Al Nuaimi cited a video call he held with an Israeli acquaintance during the escalation, explaining that the latter was astonished to learn that he was at Abu Dhabi’s Galleria Mall at a time when missile and drone attacks were being launched against the UAE.
He said the experience highlighted differing perceptions of how daily life could continue amid security threats. He added that some Israelis who visited the UAE arrived with preconceived notions about Arabs, but direct interaction with Emirati society and residents from various Arab nationalities gave them an opportunity to discover a more diverse reality.
He noted that visitors’ interactions were not limited to Emiratis but also included residents from across the Arab world, including Palestinians. This gave them the opportunity to meet people from communities about which they might previously have held different perceptions.
According to Al Nuaimi, such experiences underscore the importance of direct people-to-people contact in overcoming stereotypes and fostering a broader understanding of others, even amid political and security tensions.
Israeli, Palestinian meetings aim to promote dialogue
In a related development, Al Nuaimi revealed that he had met two separate delegations the previous day, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, as part of efforts aimed at encouraging dialogue and bringing the two sides’ perspectives closer together.
He said the meetings highlighted the importance of working towards a future in which Israelis and Palestinians could live alongside one another, rather than allowing the conflict to continue and its consequences to affect successive generations.
Al Nuaimi stressed that political differences should not prevent efforts to identify common ground, emphasising the need to give younger generations an opportunity to build a future in which they would no longer remain trapped in a protracted conflict.
His remarks come at a time when regional security, coexistence and dialogue among peoples remain key challenges facing the region, amid efforts to strengthen communication and broaden mutual understanding despite political differences.
Iranian espionage networks in Gulf and Arab countries
Gulf and Arab countries have previously raised concerns about destabilising activities allegedly planned by Iran-aligned sleeper cells and organisations linked to Hezbollah.
Several Gulf states have also announced the dismantling of networks suspected of involvement in espionage and sabotage. Bahraini authorities have accused suspects of transmitting information about sensitive locations to Iranian operatives, while Qatar has reported the discovery of cells allegedly gathering intelligence on military and critical infrastructure facilities.
The UAE, for its part, has announced the arrest of individuals allegedly involved in Iran-linked networks planning activities that threatened national security.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has confirmed that the UAE’s early warning system is designed to issue location
