Sheikh ‏Hamdan bin Zayed assesses national service recruits at Liwa Training Centre


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Sheikh ‏Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, on Monday assessed national service recruits at Liwa Training Centre.

He attended specialist demonstrations by the 22nd cohort of the country’s National Service Programme for the 2024-2025 training year. Demonstrations included combat and tactical exercises, as well as infantry and team co-ordination displays.

Sheikh Hamdan praised the recruits’ readiness and discipline as well as their military skills and knowledge, state news agency Wam reported. He also praised the outcomes of the intensive training during the programme, which covered military sciences, physical fitness, martial arts and discipline.

The event was attended by Sheikh Yas bin Hamdan bin Zayed, Lt Gen Engineer Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, along with a number of senior officers and officials.

Building a legacy

It follows an event in December, in which thousands of Emirati recruits and members of the reserve forces took part in a Stand of Loyalty parade before UAE leaders to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Service Programme.

The ceremony, held in Al Sameeh, between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

Leaders inspected the recruits and reserve forces, who were welcomed with a display of artillery. Military aircraft flew overhead in front of the dignitaries on the main stage, while the 23,000 recruits stood in formation alongside more than 2,000 armoured vehicles.

Compulsory military service for Emirati men aged 18 to 30 was introduced in 2014, involving rigorous training regimes, military drills and weapons training, a focus on physical fitness and the reinforcement of national values and patriotism.

Recruits are also trained in data literacy and artificial intelligence. The National Service and Reserve Authority signed an agreement with the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence in 2019 to train recruits in AI and robotics. Two years later, it was announced that recruits would also be given lessons in entrepreneurship.

The specs

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The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Salah in numbers

€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of 39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.

13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.

57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.

7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.

3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.

40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.

30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.

8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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Updated: July 29, 2025, 8:12 AM`