The UAE and Bahrain condemn, in their strongest terms, terrorism in all of its forms and continuously renew their commitment to combating terrorism and beating the extremist ideologies that fuel violence perpetrated by murderous terrorist groups, including Daesh, Al-Qaeda, and others.
The threat of terrorism and extremism is a day-to-day challenge that targets the security and stability of the Gulf while threatening political, economic, and social systems. It is a global phenomenon that surpasses borders, cultures, and religions, and fighting it requires concerted actions from the international community.
Moreover, the war on terrorism is not only military, as terrorism is a complex and multifaceted spectacle requiring specialised approaches in fighting its spread. Therefore, efforts to denounce extremism and terrorism must consider a multipronged approach, from attacking the roots of radicalism to combating recruitment and encouraging individuals’ active participation in society.
In the war against terrorist financing, the UAE and Bahrain jointly have made considerable efforts to maintain anti-money laundering systems through legislation. Furthermore, the UAE and Bahrain work with international partners to observe and disrupt terrorist financing networks by cooperating with other Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and international institutions, such as the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), which supports financial information collection and analysis programmes.
Recently, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain attended the final phase of the joint Emirati-Bahraini military anti-terrorism exercise, titled “Jelmoud 3.”
The three-day exercise witnessed the participation of the UAE Armed Forces and the Royal Guard, a unit of the Bahrain Defence Force, as well as several other teams from the defence force and Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior and National Security Agency, as part of the close collaboration between the two countries.
Before the exercise, the two countries arranged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by Lt. General Eng. Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, and Major General Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad, who offered the exercise, its phases and its objectives.
President Sheikh Mohamed voiced his happiness at attending the exercise, which highlighted the skills and capabilities of its participants. His Majesty King Hamad greeted the attendance of the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed at the exercise, glorifying the efforts of everyone involved to ensure its success.
“We are delighted to welcome the valiant UAE Armed Forces in their second home, Bahrain, and among their brothers during the exercise, which confirms the close historical ties between the two friendly countries,” he said.
The UAE and Bahrain have long recognised the danger of extremist ideologies. As such, both have adopted various methods of stopping radicalisation by moderating religious discourse across official establishments and religious and media platforms. In addition, the religious education curriculum has been carefully and comprehensively developed, including Islamic teaching classes in the formal school system and standardised curricula in Qur’an Memorisation Centres operated by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
