New law will serve the UAE well

The national service legislation will help both the UAE and the individuals involved.

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Legislation to introduce mandatory national service for all male Emiratis aged between 18 and 30 has been fast-tracked into law since being proposed to federal cabinet in January. But it has not been considered lightly.

The law will have many benefits, not just for the country but for the individuals who will be conscripted. While the UAE itself is stable and faces no immediate threat, we live in a volatile region and a ready-reserve military force of able and willing citizens is a necessity in uncertain times.

On the personal front, military service will instil in young men – and those women who choose to participate – a range of positive qualities, such as physical fitness, discipline, vigilance, resilience and modesty. It will teach them valuable life skills, including team work, leadership and time management.

Importantly, it will also give them a greater sense of engagement with the country and its ideals, and provide them with a positive way to build on the hard work of the country’s founding generation and play a role in shaping the future.

From a practical point of view, national service will address the country’s high youth unemployment rate. After their period of service – ranging from nine months to two years depending on whether they have completed high school – conscripts should emerge with the confidence, maturity and some of the qualifications they will need in the workforce. Many youngsters who previously thought only of tapping a keyboard in a government office may discover hitherto hidden abilities in one of the many fields that are required to run a modern military. And some, of course, will opt to continue serving their country as career soldiers.

However, compulsory national service will also pose considerable challenges for the professional military, which is being asked to embrace an unfiltered resource. Some conscripts will be unfit for service and lack the skills to become a part of the regular forces. With careful management, however, they can be placed into support roles that better suit their abilities, so they can contribute for both own benefit and for the greater good of the country.