National security agency absorbed

DUBAI // The agency that protects critical infrastructure was dissolved yesterday and its responsibilities given to the military, on the orders of Sheikh Khalifa, the President.

The President yesterday issued law number one of 2012, which dissolved the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA).

The Dubai Media Office tweeted: "#UAE President issues law dismissing Critical National Infrastructure Authority, attaching its assets, resources and capabilities to Arm Forces."

The CNIA was established in May 2007 to detect and prevent security threats, provide protective measures and respond to security incidents.

Headed by Faris Al Mazroui, the CNIA has since been engaged in maritime, infrastructure and facilities security and planning.

The defence expert Dr Theodore Karasik, director for research and consultancy at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said the dissolution of the authority did not come as a surprise.

"These actions are not unusual of the UAE military command … to have agencies and authorities stood up and then reabsorbed," Dr Karasik said.

"They develop these agencies, take the best lessons and functions they developed as individual entities and then they reabsorb them under the general headquarters' umbrella to develop a more robust security approach."

The UAE Government's Official Gazette shows the law was approved on February 28 but came into effect yesterday.

Comment from the military was unavailable.