Abdellatif Hammouchi promotes security cooperation with the UAE
- Rabat and Abu Dhabi sign agreements for police skills development
- Regional and international security on the agenda between Morocco and the UAE
Abdellatif Hammouchi landed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to meet with the most important Emirati personalities in charge of defence and security, including Major General, member of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Abu Dhabi Police, Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, the head of the Emirati Intelligence Services, Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, and the President of Interpol, Ahmed Nasser Al-Risi.
The meeting, which ends on 26 September, discussed strengthening bilateral relations, broadening the security approach to the regional level, advancing technology and innovation systems, expanding the fight against organised crime and state terrorism, increasing cooperation with international bodies such as Interpol, and mutual support on strategic issues, mainly in the geopolitical and cyber-security fields.
This trip is part of an action programme drawn up by Morocco's DGSN-DGST Pole to strengthen international security cooperation and expand coordination with other countries and international organisations on security issues.
During the talks, the security officials agreed to work together to improve security and expand forms of collaboration. The pre-visit statement issued by the DGST indicated that Morocco and the UAE enjoy cordial diplomatic relations.
‘The bilateral agreement will open the door to the implementation of joint advanced training programmes in various police fields. It will also facilitate the exchange of knowledge and practical experience between the Moroccan Police and the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police,’ the statement reads.
Rabat and Abu Dhabi sign agreements for police skills development
More and more countries are considering security and defence as critical issues. In this context, the two countries signed several documents.
Among them, the memorandum of understanding between the DGST, represented by the Royal Moroccan Police Institute, and the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police, represented by the Saif Bin Zayed Academy of Security Police Sciences, to frame cooperation in the police field, increase investment in security human resources, establish a legal framework for joint legal and regulatory action and implement the competences of both bodies.
During his stay, Abdellatif Hammouchi visited new security facilities in the UAE, including the Abu Dhabi Police's ‘Safe City’, an innovative project using artificial intelligence in security and traffic. He also visited factories specialising in the production of security equipment for the police.
During the visit, the Director General of National Security saw how the simulation practices of technologies and technical solutions approved by the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police in different areas of security are carried out.
Regional and international security on the agenda between Morocco and the UAE
In an increasingly threatened and complex world, cooperation between states is essential. Under this premise, the head of Morocco's General Directorate of Territorial Security, Abdellatif Hammouchi, met with the UAE's highest authority for defence and security, Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, head of the UAE's intelligence services, and the head of Interpol, Ahmed Nasser Al-Risi.
Cybersecurity, combating terrorism and international cooperation were the main topics of the meeting, due to the consideration both countries have of Morocco as a key player in international security.
The escalation of tension between Lebanon and Iran against Israel is one of the main concerns of the Gulf countries, which, in turn, are watching with a sidelong glance what is happening in the Red Sea with the Houthis; the military escalation between Ethiopia, Egypt and Somalia; and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a war that also involves Europe and the United States, two of the most important partners for both (Morocco and the Emirates).
The DGST director is a key figure in regional and international security. The tour of the Emirates is more than a meeting. The meeting between the two security forces is a sign of mutual trust, and the confirmation and certification of the importance of Hammouchi's figure for the Moroccan government.
Relations between the two states are very good. The great progress made by the Moroccan economy in 2023 has increased the confidence of the Emirati government, which was one of the first countries in the Middle East to recognise Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara as the ‘only serious and credible’ way to resolve the Sahrawi dispute, and to establish a consulate in Laayoune, the largest city in the Moroccan Sahara.
