Abu Dhabi / WAM
The United Arab Emirates, under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has strongly believed in the importance of its human resources in all fields, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said on Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohamed made the remarks while opening the National Service School of the Presidential Guards at Sih Hafeer Camp. The school, which is equipped according to the latest training systems, is built specially for the recruits of the national service.
“The UAE leadership’s keenness to modernise and upgrade capabilities of the armed forces is not limited to procurement of the latest equipment and arms technology, but also to preparing human resources that are capable of dealing with the different defence technologies,†he said.
Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE has adopted a firm principle of investing in human resources as the country’s key asset.
Upon arrival at the school, Sheikh Mohamed was received by H.E. Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lt. General Saleh Mohamed Al Amri, Commander of the Land Forces, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Mohamed Al Mushrikh, Commander of UAE Naval Forces, Lt. General Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence, Colonel Ahmed Ali Al Balooshi, Commander of the Presidential Guards Institute, Lt. Colonel Fahad Sultan bin Sulaiman, Commander of the Presidential Guards School for National Service, and a number of senior armed forces officers.
Sheikh Mohamed toured the school’s classrooms and the training halls and inspected the training simulators. He watched a demonstration of skills acquired by the recruits while being briefed on the training and teaching curricula and techniques used in the school.
At the outdoor training ground, the national service recruits performed different exercises such as field and infantry skills, weapon assembling and physical fitness exercises.
Sheikh Mohamed also toured the school facilities, including the barracks, the Olympic-size swimming pool, food court and sports hall. He then officially opened the school by unveiling the plaque.
Sheikh Mohamed met with the batch of national service recruits who will complete their training soon, and started his speech by praying to Allah the Almighty to bestow his mercy on the martyrs of the UAE.
He praised the recruit’s loyalty, dedication and patriotism and reminded them of the sacrifices of their brothers stationed in Yemen.
“Nations’ strength is not measured by their size or population but by the determination of their people. No one should take determination for granted at the times of trial, and history tells us how will power and sacrifices created miracles,†he said.
Sheikh Mohamed continued, “We live in a very volatile region, but thanks to the grace of Allah the Almighty, and to the vigilance of our forces, we have been able to maintain our security and stability and to stand by our brothers in the Gulf and other areas to deter threats before they go out of control.â€
He said the country’s keen efforts to modernise its armed forces emanates from the interest for peace and stability.
“Defending the nation is a sacred duty of all citizens. This approach was not started when our country was created, but it has always been seen in the sacrifices made by our forefathers to protect their homeland. They left us a rich legacy that we should cherish and be proud of,†he
concluded.