The UAE Ministry of Interior has launched a three-day nationwide field exercise running from 11 to 13 November 2025, involving large movements of police vehicles, military units and aircraft across all seven emirates. Residents have been instructed not to film the drills and to yield to convoys to ensure operational safety.
Dubbed “Union Shield 25,” the drill tests inter-agency coordination, emergency communications and rapid-response protocols for both natural and man-made crises. Airports, seaports and land borders are included in the scenario planning, though authorities say commercial operations will continue. Logistics firms have nonetheless been advised to factor possible short-term traffic diversions into their delivery schedules.
![UAE begins nationwide security drill 11–13 November; travel and logistics advised to plan around convoys]()
For mobility managers, the main impact will be on ground transport to and from worksites, especially in industrial zones bordering military installations. Companies relocating staff this week should circulate the no-photography rule—violations can incur fines of up to AED 100,000 under federal cyber-crime laws.
The annual exercise underscores the UAE’s proactive approach to crisis readiness, a factor many multinational firms cite when choosing the Emirates as a regional hub. Lessons learned will feed into the design of the new Abu Dhabi Crisis Management Centre, scheduled to open in early 2026.
Dubbed “Union Shield 25,” the drill tests inter-agency coordination, emergency communications and rapid-response protocols for both natural and man-made crises. Airports, seaports and land borders are included in the scenario planning, though authorities say commercial operations will continue. Logistics firms have nonetheless been advised to factor possible short-term traffic diversions into their delivery schedules.
For mobility managers, the main impact will be on ground transport to and from worksites, especially in industrial zones bordering military installations. Companies relocating staff this week should circulate the no-photography rule—violations can incur fines of up to AED 100,000 under federal cyber-crime laws.
The annual exercise underscores the UAE’s proactive approach to crisis readiness, a factor many multinational firms cite when choosing the Emirates as a regional hub. Lessons learned will feed into the design of the new Abu Dhabi Crisis Management Centre, scheduled to open in early 2026.
