ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – A NATO delegation, led by the Allied Joint Force Command Naples Assistant Chief of Staff civilian-military cooperation branch, German Army Brigadier General Reinhard Kloss, traveled to Abu Dhabi to conduct a NATO Expert Staff Meeting, Oct. 18, 2017.
Kloss’s team was received by Emirati Army Brigadier General Hamdan Al Zeyoudi, commander of the General Headquarters Joint Operations Command, at their headquarters. The Expert Staff Meeting is a vital part of the annual military cooperation between NATO and UAE, as it ensures the military partnership is meeting the desires of the Emirati Armed Forces and that it’s in line with the direction and guidance of NATO’s Military Committee.
Al Zeyoudi and his team welcomed Kloss and the rest of the NATO delegation, which included a representative from Air Command, or AIRCOM, for a friendly meeting to discuss past and present partnership activities. Topics ranged from a review of 2017 partnership activities, AIRCOM and its partnership capabilities, changes in the Emirati Armed Forces structure and finally 2018-2019 partnership activities and exercises available to UAE. Additionally, NATO presented UAE officials with an in-depth briefing of the NATO Strategic Direction South Hub to highlight NATO’s newest capability.
According to Kloss, the NATO military partnership with UAE has been very close and has seen a steady growth over the last several years. Kloss reiterated he believed that this strong partnership is due to many of the same members on both sides of the table remaining consistent. Event organizers said the meeting was successful with open and fruitful discussions resulting in a better understanding on what still needs to be done to continue the partnership growth trend between NATO and UAE.
UAE is an active NATO partner country and has been a member of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Framework since 2005. In 2016, the Emirates welcomed the first NATO Mobile Training Teams, which were executed by JFC Naples. It currently participates in numerous NATO initiatives including multiple NATO exercises, the NATO Defense College, senior executive NATO courses and other Key Leader Engagements.
Photos and story courtesy of JFC Naples J9