The UAE, unlikely to become an unsafe place

The recent volley of missile and drone attacks on UAE capital Abu Dhabi shook the Gulf and rattled local markets. While such events are far from uncommon in the Middle East, they were jarring in a country reputed for its safety and stability amid the more turbulent wider region.

The Houthis, a militant Yemeni Shiite movement backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for what UAE officials described as a drone and missile attack on Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17 that killed three people at the facilities of state oil firm ADNOC.

The subsequent weeks saw three more attacks by missiles or drones that UAE forces say they intercepted — the most recent of which, on Feb. 3, was claimed by an Iraqi militia group. The attacks have been followed by airstrikes across targets in Yemen, where the UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition at war with the Houthis.

On Monday, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, pledged support for the UAE in developing anti-drone defenses and announced the deployment of F-22 fighter jets to the region. The U.S. has already deployed a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Cole, to patrol UAE waters.

The UAE is equipped with high-end THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems, some of the most expensive and most advanced in the world. But the threats that remain are far smaller and harder to detect than missiles, and have evaded the defenses of even the wealthiest countries: drones.

In the meantime, security experts say, the focus must be on passive defenses, which involves making key infrastructure as resilient as possible and bolstering emergency response services and civil defense.

In this respect, the UAE’s defenses “are in very good shape,” said DesRoches, who has spent years advising Gulf militaries. A case in point was the rapid fire response and continuation of operations at the ADNOC oil facility that was hit by drones and missiles on Jan. 17.

Ultimately, the UAE has powerful allies and analysts believe it’s unlikely to become an unsafe place for its inhabitants to live.