FUJAIRAH // A new naval base in Fujairah will help to protect vital shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, analysts said yesterday.
The base is the strongest signal yet of the UAE's commitment to protecting the area, which the Armed Forces called the "life vein" of the oil industry.
The inauguration on Wednesday came two months after a terrorist attack damaged part of a Japanese oil tanker on its way from Al Ruwais to Tokyo carrying 270,000 tonnes of oil. The tanker was attacked outside UAE waters, but highlighted the need for greater vigilance in protecting the area's shipping lanes.
The Fujairah Naval Base is an "edifice" of the Armed Forces, the base's commander said in remarks published on the state news agency, WAM.
"This location will allow the base to play its role in the strategic defence of the country's land and waters," the commander said, particularly in light of the "crucial strategic importance" of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The new base will further allow the UAE to project its maritime power to a greater arc of influence than previously," said Paul Burke, a former military intelligence officer who briefed an audience at the The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) on maritime security and is author of a new study on the maritime security of the UAE.
The base was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed al Sharqi, the Ruler of Fujairah. The opening was attended by Hamad al Rumaithi, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces.
Some government circles have placed greater emphasis on maritime security this year. The ECSSR, a government thinktank, held a session recently on maritime security threats.
The Critical National Infrastructure Authority announced this month that they had included an air wing in their maritime security forces.
The multinational Combined Task Force 152 conducts maritime security operations in the Gulf.
"The base will contribute to raising the capabilities of the naval forces," the commander said.
That role includes defending the country's territorial waters and critical infrastructure, providing maritime security, protecting shipping lanes to and from the country and responding to natural and industrial disasters in the area.
It signals an expansion of the navy's role in protecting oil installations and shipments and responding to crises such as oil spills.
"It has strategic significance whether in terms of location or goals, the most important of which is protecting the country's coast and securing sea navigation in the Strait," the commander said, calling it a "life vein" through which 60 per cent of the world's oil is shipped.
The base is necessary to protect the country's eastern borders, the commander said, including 70 kilometres on the Gulf of Oman.
"The maritime threats to the UAE cover a wide spectrum, and defending against these threats requires a comprehensive, joined-up strategy to ensure that no gaps remain vulnerable," Mr Burke said.
These can include mines, covert divers that conduct sabotage operations, anti-ship missiles fired from the coast, and small boats fitted with explosives, in addition to oil spills and attacks on ships.
"The new base will be a significant, strategic asset to the UAE's maritime security and it will be a welcome measure of reassurance to maritime traffic passing through the Straits of Hormuz," he said.
It is estimated that 90 per cent of all Middle Eastern-produced oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, along with 31 million tons of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which represents 18 per cent of global LNG supplies.
The UAE is a "choke point" for oil supplies, and the economic effects of a disruption in the supply could be devastating, Mr Burke said. Yemen lost almost $4 million a year in port and other fees after the attack on the USS Cole by al Qa'eda in 1999, he said.
kshaheen@thenational.ae
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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