United Arab Emirates Military - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard; Ministry of Interior: Critical Infrastructure Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2021)

Military expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2017)

6% of GDP (2016)

7% of GDP (2015)

5.8% of GDP (2014)

6.1% of GDP (2013)

no public data available for 2015 or after 2016

Military and security service personnel strengths

the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces have approximately 65,000 total active personnel (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the UAE Armed Forces inventory is comprised of wide variety of mostly modern imported equipment; since 2010, the UAE has acquired military equipment from more than 20 countries with the US as the leading supplier by far, followed by France and Russia (2020)

Military deployments

est. a few thousand Yemen (2021)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 17 years of age for male volunteers with parental approval; 24-month general service obligation, 16 months for secondary school graduates; women can volunteer to serve for 9 months regardless of education (2019)

NOTE: The information regarding United Arab Emirates on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of United Arab Emirates 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about United Arab Emirates 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.