Hamdan attends graduation ceremony, says advancing military capabilities is one of the UAE priorities

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on Thursday attended the graduation ceremony of the 26th cohort of the Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Naval College in Abu Dhabi.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Mohamed Bin Mubarak Bin Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs; and Lieutenant General Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces; Lt. General Staff Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence; Lieutenant General Mike Hindmarsh, President of Zayed Military University, and Maj. Gen Humaid Mohammed Abdullah Alremeithi, Commander, UAE Naval Forces Commander, along with senior armed forces officers.

The ceremony featured a parade by the graduating cadets. The cadets pledged to uphold the sovereignty of the UAE and to be loyal to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In the presence of Sheikh Hamdan and the assembled audience, the cadets also solemnly declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend the UAE and its security.

Sheikh Hamdan also honoured the outstanding cadets, wishing them the best in serving the nation.

Sheikh Hamdan said that the UAE has a strong strategic focus on investing in people and advancing military capabilities to safeguard the nation and its achievements.

He stressed that strengthening naval expertise remains central to the national defence system and to the leadership’s vision of sustained readiness and preparedness.

In his address, Brigadier General Hamza Mohammed Abdullah Al Shamsi, Commandant of Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Naval College, thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his patronage and presence.

He said the college is a modern institution attracting students from around the world and committed to preparing qualified national cadres to safeguard the homeland and its waters.

He also praised the leadership’s continued support for the Ministry of Defence and the college’s progress, noting the advanced skills achieved by naval cadets through comprehensive academic and field training, simulation exercises, and the latest maritime security technologies.

At the end of the ceremony, Sheilh Hamdan posed for a commemorative photo with the graduates and extended to them his heartiest wishes to excel in their military careers and make the nation proud.