Dubai, January 28 / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, chaired the first meeting of the Defense Council for the year 2025. At the outset of the meeting, His Highness welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of redoubling efforts, working as one team, and intensifying levels of cooperation and coordination to achieve the leadership's vision for the future development of the UAE's defense capabilities, and to rise to the level of aspirations for the institutional work of the ministry and ways to advance it in order to achieve the specific strategic objectives for the next phase, with 2025 being a year of excellence, creativity, and achievements, in line with the comprehensive development process in the country. During the meeting, which was attended by His Excellency Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Fadel Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defense Affairs, His Excellency Lieutenant General Staff Pilot Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Lieutenant General Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, and a number of senior officers and officials at the Ministry of Defense, ways to enhance the military and institutional strategy and the importance of developing capabilities and upgrading them in various sectors of the ministry were discussed. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed the importance of continuing to work on upgrading the capabilities of the country's defense system, in line with regional and global changes and challenges, praising the unlimited support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, may God protect him, for the armed forces and his attention and follow-up to its various sectors, and his continuous keenness to ensure that all its units possess the latest equipment and technologies to guarantee their readiness and constant preparedness to perform their duties towards the nation in the best possible way. His Highness also emphasized the need to invest in developing national competencies in defense and military fields, upgrading the capabilities of all elements of the armed forces, ensuring the highest levels of their readiness, and their familiarity with the latest defense technologies and equipment. His Highness pointed out that the human element forms the basis for building an integrated defense force that keeps pace with the requirements of the era, supported by a focus on innovation strategies and modern technology. At the conclusion of the meeting, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum expressed his thanks and appreciation to everyone for their continuous efforts, wishing them all success, and stressing that the wise leadership has not and will not spare any effort in providing everything necessary to develop the capabilities of the UAE military institution according to the best global standards.