Conscription in the United Arab Emirates, more commonly known as the National Service ( ar, الخدمة الوطنية), is a mandatory
national military service for all Emirati males aged between 17 and 30 for the duration of 11 months. The law is intended to bolster the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
defence capabilities and increase the
military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve f ...
of the
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces
The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة, Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa li-Dawlat al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyyah al-Muttaḥidah) are the armed forces of the Unit ...
.
History
The bill was approved by the
Federal National Council
The Federal National Council (FNC) ( ar, المجلس الوطني الإتحادي, ''al-Majlis al-Watani al-Ittihadi'') of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an advisory quasi-parliamentary body in the UAE. The FNC consists of 40 members. Twen ...
(FNC) and became law in January 2014. Emirati men who have finished secondary school or aged between 18 and 30 will have to serve 11 months, while those who have not will serve three years. The service will be optional for women, who may be trained for nine months, regardless of their education. The law gives citizens who complete the mandatory military service a range of benefits, including priority for taking up jobs in government institutions and private businesses, marriage grants, housing plots and scholarships.
Citizens who fail to enlist for military service without valid reason until they reach 29 years of age will face a jail term of between one month and a year, or a fine ranging between AED 10,000 and 50,000 or both. They will have to undergo the military service even if they exceed the age limit of 30. Executive rules will spell out alternative services and security training where these services can be offered and terms for exemption from military service for medical or other reasons.
Military service may be completed at the
UAE Armed Forces
The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة, Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa li-Dawlat al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyyah al-Muttaḥidah) are the armed forces of the Unit ...
, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the State Security Service and other institutions identified by the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The reserves will consist of those who have completed their national service and military personnel who have finished .
The duration of the military service was initially 9 months and was later increased to 12 months. In July 2018, the duration was extended to 16 months.
See also
*
Military history of the United Arab Emirates
The military history of the United Arab Emirates describes the military history of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Prior to the union of the emirates, different tribal confederations formed the de facto military force which was dominant in t ...
References
{{Asia in topic, Conscription in
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
Military of the United Arab Emirates