How western veterans helped the UAE build one of the region's most adept military forces
For more than six decades, since before the UAE’s founding, thousands of western veterans have served alongside Emirati forces, helping build a formidable military and producing a force regarded as one of the region’s most capable. The UAE has a tradition of hiring residents to train and work alongside its own military personnel. Pakistan has long been a handy source of expertise but western…
For over half a century, hundreds of foreign military veterans have partnered with Emirati forces to establish a formidable force in the region. The UAE has always valued the expertise of its neighbors, often turning to Pakistan for military training, but it has also relied on western military experts for decades. According to a new book, more than 5,000 western military personnel have served alongside the UAE Armed Forces since 1965, with a large majority from the UK or the US.
Adrian Raisbeck, a Malawi-born former British Royal Marine, arrived in the UAE in the early 2000s to help analyze maritime security. He initially struggled with the cultural gap and found it difficult to connect with Emirati colleagues, many of whom did not speak English well. After reading the book by TE Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, he learned the importance of allowing Arab forces to operate in their own way and began to build personal relationships with his colleagues.
He decided to learn Arabic and began visiting their offices to chat and build a rapport. This strategy proved effective, and the two sides formed strong bonds, enabling them to work more effectively together.
Western veterans have primarily served in advisory, training, and system commissioning roles, providing the UAE with new capabilities without being part of the formal chain of command. Some of them have even been commissioned into the military. While they have often brought specialized skills that they passed on to Emirati personnel, the UAE continues to rely on them to modernize its armed forces and keep up with advancements in military technology.
Several western expatriates have sadly lost their lives while serving, though the vast majority enjoyed their experiences in the UAE, often because of the autonomy they had compared to their home countries. A former British Army officer who taught military helicopter pilots in the UAE emphasized the importance of allowing Emirati personnel to develop their own ways of working, rather than imposing a rigid discipline from back home.
Adapting to a different cultural context was crucial for their success, and learning the language proved to be a significant advantage.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
