Western Military Expatriates in the Armed Forces of the UAE

Over the course of a remarkable career, Athol Yates has recorded and explained every aspect of the military of the United Arab Emirates. With Western Military Expatriates in the Armed Forces of the UAE, he delivers yet another superb work to help those without his encyclopaedic knowledge understand the critical role that these personnel have played in the development of the Emirati armed forces.

Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack, Vice President for Policy, Middle East Institute and author of Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness

This book provides a masterful account of the roles and impact of Western military expatriates in UAE military formations and how this has evolved over time. Drawing on extensive primary research, Yates combines granular detail with bigger-picture analysis and makes an original and highly compelling addition to the literature which will be of significant value to scholars and practitioners alike.

Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute in Houston

Western Military Expatriates in the Armed Forces of the UAE will be the standard reference on the topic for generations. It will also be the standard by which studies of other nations with large foreign security components will be judged. I know of no other person who has the research skills, the knowledge, and the access to Arab security forces to produce such a magisterial oversight. In the coming decades, any Gulf security analysis which does not reference this work will be sub-par. This is a true masterpiece.

Professor David Des Roches, Thayer Marshall Institute and Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Gulf International Forum

Athol Yates is the world’s leading authority on the military of the UAE. No one outside the Emirates knows a tenth of what he knows. Entirely original and of very considerable significance, Western Military Expatriates in the Armed Forces of the UAE focuses on an under-researched topic and the rigor of Yates’s approach will make the book a huge contribution.

Dr. Stephen Quick, Defence & Security Program, Rabdan Academy, UAE

A compelling and original account of how Western military professionals helped shape the UAE’s armed forces, grounded in rich historical evidence and sharp strategic insight. An important contribution to understanding how this Gulf state has developed probably the region's most capable military.

Professor Dusko Tomic, College of Security and Global Studies, American University in the Emirates, UAE

Yates is the foremost expert on the Emirati armed forces in the English-speaking world. Examining the role of Western military expatriates on the development of the UAE's defence capabilities over the past sixty years, this book provides an important contribution on the scholarship of Arab military studies.

Dr. Geraint Hughes, Reader in Diplomatic and Military History, King's College London

Deeply researched and original, Athol Yates’s book provides a compelling account of the little-known role Western military expatriates have played in shaping the UAE’s armed forces over the past six decades. It will be essential reading for scholars and practitioners interested in military partnerships and the evolution of Gulf security.

Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore

Athol Yates heads the Institute for International and Civil Security at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi. His research focuses on the UAE’s internal security and national security policy, military history, and defence industry. He is the author of books on the history of the UAE security forces, including Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates and The Military and Police Forces of the Trucial States and United Arab Emirates 1951–1980.