VZCZCXRO4834
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0229 0431308
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121308Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8259
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PTER KCIP ASEC AE
SUBJECT: SLOW MOVEMENT ON NATIONAL-LEVEL CRISIS MANAGEMENT 
PLANNING IN UAE 
 
REF: A. 06 ABU DHABI 3370 
     ¶B. 06 ABU DHABI 2445 
     ¶C. 05 ABU DHABI 3243 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) During a February 8 call on Interior Minister Sheikh 
Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Ambassador inquired about the UAE's 
national crisis management system -- the planning for which 
began in early 2005 but which has not seen any progress other 
than the establishment of a National Security Council in June 
¶2006.  Saif responded vaguely saying that even though 
physical security concerns often dominate planners' focus 
these are only a small part of a comprehensive national plan 
to deal with crises.  He explained that the UAE leadership 
believes the path to security begins with education of the 
younger generation, and in avoiding crises to begin with. 
 
¶2. (C)  Sheikh Saif then stated that the UAEG is still in the 
early stages of gathering information on what capabilities 
the government already has in place in order to compare that 
data with known threats and to identify what is needed in 
terms of infrastructure and organization.  Only when this 
process is complete will the government be ready to move 
forward in developing plans and training programs. 
Ambassador offered to assist any way possible, noting the 
good relations the Ministry enjoys with Embassy's RSO(State), 
DHS, and Legatt(FBI). 
 
¶3. (C) The UAEG contracted with Raytheon to develop a plan 
for the creation of a national crisis management center 
(NCMC), and on January 11, Raytheon presented its plan to the 
Embassy.  The proposal calls for the creation of a National 
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), presents a three-year 
staffing plan for that agency identifying which positions 
need to be filled initially, and provides a hiring schedule 
(in six-month increments) to bring the staff to its full 
complement.  The initial staffing needed to implement the 
plan consists of a NEMA director and deputy director; chiefs 
of operations, planning, and logistics; and a GIS mapper. 
The proposal also includes plans for an NCMC command 
facility, as well as an emergency response center to be 
located in Abu Dhabi. Final design of these facilities will 
be provided after sites have been identified.  Although the 
Ministry of Interior will be involved in the NCMC, the new 
center will fall under National Security Advisor Sheikh Hazza 
bin Zayed, Sheikh Saif's brother. 
 
¶4. (C) Comment: Sheikh Saif's comments indicate that senior 
UAE leadership continues to equate crisis/emergency 
management with counter-terrorism response.  This may 
partially explain the very slow pace in developing a 
comprehensive national crisis management plan.  The UAEG 
agencies involved in counter-terrorism planning (police, 
military, and state security) each have their own crisis 
management centers and already feel equipped to deal with 
localized events (such as a single terrorist action). 
Inter-agency responsibility for planning for other types of 
crises -- avian flu or an earthquake -- is less clear cut. 
However, as each agency pursues its own plan individually -- 
along with its own infrastructure, communications systems, 
etc.-- it is becoming increasingly unlikely that they will be 
able to provide a coordinated response unless a national plan 
-- such as that proposed by Raytheon -- is implemented fairly 
quickly.  End Comment. 
SISON