On Friday 11 July 2025, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Thanasis Davakis attended the graduation ceremony of the 5th Technical Training Series of Officers of the Presidential Guard of the United Arab Emirates, at “MAJOR GEORGIOS MELIDIS” camp, in Avlona-Attica.
The “Military Cooperation Programme (MCP) between Greece and the United Arab Emirates” provides specialised services of technical training to personnel of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, providing for the training of up to 2,875 members of the UAE, in technical specialties relevant to the air subject, as well as the use of technical terminology of the English language. It is carried out in the context of the contract between the Armed Forces General Staff of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry S.A.
The 207 graduates constitute the fifth section from the General Staff of the UAE who attended and successfully completed the training programme of two-years duration, covering a spectrum of four specialties as follows:
• Engineer of General Mechanical Engineering
• Engineer of General Electrical Engineering & Electronics
• Aircraft and Engines Engineer
• Engineer of Aircraft Avionics
The graduation ceremony was honoured by the presence of the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Greece, H.E. Dr Ali Dhaheri, the Secretary General of Justice, Pelops D. Laskos, the Defence Attaché of the UAE in Greece, Staff Colonel Pilot Saif Alnuaimi, the Director of the Training and Instruction Directorate, Brigadier General Abdelaziz Alqahtani, as well as the President and CEO of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, Alexandros Diakopoulos.
Mr. Davakis stated in his address among other things:
“It is a great honour and pleasure for me to be here today, at the graduation ceremony of 207 new members of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, who successfully completed a demanding, high-standard cycle of studies.
Today is a landmark not only for the graduates themselves, but for the wider defence cooperation between Greece and the UAE which, during the last years, makes great progress and is examined closely.
Through the contract which was signed in 2021 between the Hellenic Aerospace Industry and the Armed Forces General Staff of the UAE, the foundations were laid for an ambitious, ten-year training programme. A programme which is not only limited in the transmission of technical knowledge, but it is a bridge of understanding, trust and cooperation between our countries.
Today, with pride, we welcome the new – fifth in a row – group of graduates. With the technical knowledge that you acquired in the specialties of mechanical engineering, electronics and the aircraft, and with your familiarisation in technical English terminology, you are now ready to offer your services with high professionalism and a sense of duty.
I wish to cordially congratulate you”.
