Benefits await Emiratis who complete military service

Emirati men who complete military service will have priority in job placements and promotions and for marriage and land loans, and the Armed Forces will fund their continued education.

All Emirati men between the ages of 18 and 30, or those who have completed secondary school, will be required to sign up for military service under the new law. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // Young people who try to dodge compulsory military service face a jail sentence, but there is a raft of benefits on offer to those who sign up.

They will have priority in job placements and promotions and for marriage and land loans, and the Armed Forces will fund their continued education.

Emirati men aged 18 to 30 will be banned from travelling outside the country or enrolling at university here or abroad without a military card or a legal document showing their military status.

And service to the country need not be in the Armed Forces: it can be completed with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior or State Security, according to the 44-article draft law being studied by a Federal National Council committee.

The law is being fast-tracked through the legislative process and is expected to be implemented by the end of the year.

All Emirati men between the ages of 18 and 30, or those who have completed secondary school, will be required to sign up for military service.

They must have a record of good conduct and be medically fit to serve. Participation in political or banned organisations makes them ineligible.

Service terms will be nine months for those who have completed secondary school and two years for those who have not. For women, service is optional and lasts nine months.

Men who have completed their military service will become part of the reserve forces until the age of 58, or 60 for officers.

Reserves will be called up for training, national emergencies and times of war or military threat.

All workplaces, whether government or private, will be required to allow Emirati employees time to complete their service. The employee may be replaced temporarily, but must be given the same job upon return.

Salaries will continue to be paid, with those in the private sector receiving half from their companies and half from the Armed Forces. Those in the federal and government sector will receive full salaries from their agencies.

When the law is passed, all UAE nationals will be required to register with the military. Bylaws will be passed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Anyone who does not present himself for service before the age of 30, or who tries to avoid it, faces one month to one year in prison, and/or a fine of Dh10,000 to Dh50,000. In both cases military service is required before the sentence is imposed.

Reservists who do not respond to call-ups during threats or war face up to 10 years in prison. Ignoring reserve training can also result in a prison term.

There are exemptions for only children, and temporary exemption for a son who is the sole breadwinner for a parent, brothers and sisters or an unmarried sister.

National Service may be postponed in times of peace for students who are under 29, those who finish secondary school with a grade higher than 90 per cent, or those who have not yet finished secondary school. Only one postponement is permitted, and those who use it must still complete military service later, even if they are over 30.

The Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and State Security will form a committee to oversee training on weapons and military and security operations, overseen by the National Service and Reserves Authority.

When the FNC committee finishes amending the draft law it will be passed to the full council for debate, and thereafter to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, for final approval.