ABU DHABI (WAM)

In the presence of His Highness Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, honoured high-achieving Union teams as part of the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2026, held in Abu Dhabi.

His Highness Sheikh Saif also awarded the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Medal to the honoured teams.

Union teams were recognised for demonstrating an outstanding national model for continuous readiness to protect the UAE community and safeguard national achievements, exhibiting an exceptional ability to unite and coordinate effort, and respond swiftly and effectively to various scenarios.

Honoured teams were selected for exhibiting high readiness, their positive impact on protecting the community and amplifying national achievements.

The ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah; His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Quwain; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; and His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President, alongside dignitaries, ministers and senior officials.

Hid Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasised that the exceptional performance by the awarded national teams translates the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to prioritise the security and stability of the UAE community as the foundation of all national achievements.

His Highness noted that these teams have earned the highest accolades for their readiness and proactivity in ensuring daily routine continues uninterrupted across the UAE under all circumstances.

His Highness stated: “The UAE leadership has set a clear standard for all institutions and entities: that every individual must be able to live their daily life with peace of mind, regardless of the situation, and that protecting human life is a responsibility we all share.”

His Highness added that the UAE firmly believes in maintaining readiness ahead of exceptional circumstances through proactive planning, continuous training and anticipation of risks.

His Highness stressed that being prepared in advance helps navigate challenges steadily, as was proven by the Union teams, who drew inspiration from the spirit of the Union and operated as one integrated team with amplified impact.

His Highness congratulated the honoured teams, praising their efforts and the inspiring benchmark they have set. His Highness said: “The excellence of Union teams is measured by their swift response, agility and efficiency in addressing various challenges. It is also measured by the impact they create and the trust they inspire across the community.”

His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan honoured the teams during the ceremony and awarded them the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Medal.

Honoured teams included the Armed Forces team, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) team, the aviation team in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the national cyber security team and the national logistics network team.

Armed Forces

Guided by the UAE leadership’s vision and directives, the Armed Forces have consistently reinforced their position as a model for readiness, efficiency and professionalism, serving as the shield safeguarding the nation’s security and national achievements.

Amidst recent regional challenges, the military activated its defence systems to effectively handle various threats, successfully intercepting a total of 3,617 aerial threats, including 705 ballistic missiles, 37 cruise missiles and 2,875 drones.

Through coordination with security authorities and exceptional integration of roles to support early warning systems and rapid response, these efforts successfully protected critical infrastructure and strategic locations, safeguarded the community, and mitigated the impact of military escalation on national security.

The National Operations Centre team at NCEMA played a leading role in coordinating and overseeing national efforts, as well as supporting joint decision-making to ensure the continuity of essential services.

NCEMA has developed a unified national crisis management model that brought together federal and local entities and the private sector, working together to advance readiness and institutional integration.

Through this integrated approach, NCEMA successfully managed national communications through official alerts and safety guides, thereby safeguarding the community and enhancing overall national readiness and security.

The aviation teams in Abu Dhabi and Dubai demonstrated exceptional dedication in maintaining operations across national airports, ensuring smooth and safe travel.

Despite recent airspace restrictions, airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai kept the UAE connected to the global network. Dubai airports welcomed nearly 6 million passengers and managed over 32,000 flights and 213,000 tonnes of cargo between late February and late April 2026.

Zayed International Airport served over 93,000 daily passengers across approximately 500 flights by late June and is expected to match its record-breaking 2025 traffic levels.

The Etihad Airways crisis and emergency response team led coordination efforts with authorities and strategic partners to ensure uninterrupted flight operations. The carrier has achieved exceptional performance, transporting 2.1 million passengers in September 2026 (up 10%) to 119 destinations.

The national cybersecurity team demonstrated exceptional capability and readiness in tackling cyber threats through continuous, coordinated efforts that reflected the efficiency and readiness of the UAE’s cyber defence systems.

By establishing a unified national defence line in collaboration with the Cyber Security Council and relevant authorities, the team successfully neutralised an average of 700,000 daily cyberattacks recently.

Operating around the clock, their continuous monitoring, analysis and response measures ensured the uninterrupted operations of vital sectors and reinforced the protection of national digital assets.

The national logistics network team demonstrated outstanding performance in mitigating the impact of the recent global shifts in local markets, ensuring the availability of food supplies, pharmaceuticals and strategic commodities.

By facilitating trade via ports, land and alternative routes, the team successfully enhanced supply chain resilience by supporting trade traffic via east coast ports including Fujairah and Khorfakkan.

The team’s ongoing efforts ensured the flow and availability of supply chains and strategic goods since February 2026, with container handling across east coast ports growing 316% to 1.8 million TEUs.