The United Arab Emirates and its Armed Forces

The United Arab Emirates armed forces, known as the Union Defence Force (UDF), were created in late 1971 when the seven Lower Gulf Shaykhdoms became an independent federal state. Inasmuch as four member-states—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah—fielded separate troops, and while ‘Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Qiwain deployed “guard” units, the very idea of a UDF was both novel and courageous.¹ In 1971, the UDF was essentially composed of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force (ADDF), which was formed in 1965 under the command of several British and Jordanian officers. Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu