As the global security environment becomes more volatile, states are rediscovering an old yet powerful idea: national resilience is only as strong as the society that underpins it. For small and mid-sized states in particular, military capability alone is no longer sufficient to ensure security.
Today’s strategic landscape, defined by hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, economic coercion, pandemics, supply-chain fragmentation, and climate shocks, cuts across the civilian–military divide. Against this backdrop, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long recognised that security is multidimensional and that modern defence extends far beyond the battlefield.
The UAE government’s strategy to strengthen its defence posture through a “Whole-of-Nation” approach has been well established - From its investments in cyber risk management and critical information infrastructure protection to its efforts in food, water, and energy resilience. The National Food Security Strategy 2051 and National Water Security Strategy 2036 are some well-thought out strategic and long-term initiatives reflecting UAE’s government efforts to bolster security in the non-military domains.
Why Total Defence Matters for the UAE
The UAE’s geography and geopolitical position make it one of the world’s most consequential small states. Sitting astride the vital maritime arteries of global trade, operating as a logistics hub, and serving as a regional financial centre, the UAE’s stability has global implications. But these advantages also create vulnerabilities.
The Emirates faces a spectrum of evolving traditional and non-traditional threats, which its National Defence Strategy 2023 has identified. Some of these non-traditional threats include cyber intrusions targeting banks, energy facilities, and critical infrastructure; regional conflict; influence operations and disinformation campaigns aimed at eroding trust; and long-term climate stresses affecting water systems, energy diversification and food security.
Meanwhile, global supply-chain disruptions, driven by geopolitical competition, pandemics, and extreme weather, have underscored the need for resilient logistics and diversified partners.
In this environment, Total Defence provides a strategic framework that matches the threat landscape. It assumes that defence is not the remit of the armed forces alone but a shared responsibility of government institutions, the private sector, communities and residents. It operationalises the idea that every sector must be ready to prevent, absorb, and recover from shocks, whether they are kinetic attacks or systemic disruptions.
Core Principles of Total Defence
Several core principles as an analytical framework of Total Defence could enhance the UAE’s resilience but also aid researchers in their study of the UAE’s defence and security strategy.
First, resilience must be holistic. The UAE already fields advanced military capabilities, but hybrid threats increasingly bypass traditional defences. A unified national resilience doctrine, integrating cybersecurity, civil defence, emergency management, supply-chain security and strategic communications, would strengthen preparedness and reduce vulnerabilities across sectors.
Second, societal cohesion is strategic. The UAE’s multi-ethnic, multicultural social fabric is one of its greatest sources of strength. In an era of misinformation and psychological operations, clear communication strategies, public education on crisis preparedness, and community engagement programmes become essential.
Third, the private sector must become an institutional partner in national security.
As a global hub for aviation, logistics, finance and energy, the UAE’s business community is inevitably a frontline target. Embedding Total Defence principles into corporate governance, through continuity planning, critical infrastructure protection, workforce preparedness, and coordinated incident response, would not only protect businesses but also reinforce national security. Here, certain elements of the Singaporean experience, such as public–private coordination mechanisms, may offer useful comparative insights. However, applicability would depend on UAE-specific institutional, demographic and societal considerations.
Singapore’s Whole-of-Nation Approach: The Business Community
Singapore’s Total Defence model, developed in the 1980s and sharpened over decades, rests on six mutually reinforcing pillars: military, civil, economic, social, digital, and psychological defence. The objective is straightforward: in any crisis, every segment of society plays an active, defined role.
While Singapore’s military modernisation often receives the most attention, its parallel effort to integrate the business community into the national security ecosystem is just as consequential.
A leading example is the National Security and Safety Watch Group (SSWG), a nationwide partnership that connects business community, such as building owners, facility managers, and business operators, with key national security agencies, including the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. (SCDF) The SSWG scheme strengthens “whole-of-nation” preparedness by equipping businesses with the knowledge, protocols, and coordination mechanisms needed to detect, prevent, and respond to security threats.
One of the key ingredients of the SSWG’s effectiveness is its deep partnership with the police. At the operational level, the Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) play a frontline role. They engage directly with the business community within their jurisdiction, facilitating regular dialogues, security briefings, and joint exercises. This ground-level interaction ensures that the SSWG remains responsive, community-rooted, and attuned to evolving security risks.
In November 2025, for instance, a major counterterrorism exercise codenamed Exercise Heartbeat was held in Clarke Quay, one of Singapore’s most prominent entertainment districts. This exercise enabled the facility owner and management to practise coordination with the police and other emergency services, demonstrating the importance of rapid, well-rehearsed responses to a potential terror attack. This exercise would not have been possible without the close collaboration and relationship between the Clark Quay management and the local police unit.
What is the impact of the SSWG scheme? Over time, the collaboration between Singapore’s domestic security agencies and the business community has nurtured a vigilant, well-linked security ecosystem that extends beyond uniformed officers and into the everyday spaces where people live, work, and gather.
A Strategic Opportunity for the UAE
A UAE-tailored Total Defence model would ensure that preparedness becomes systemic rather than situational. By adopting Total Defence, the UAE can strengthen its economic lifelines, deepen societal unity, and fortify the resilience of its critical systems. More importantly, it positions the country as a resilient nation, capable of absorbing shocks, recovering rapidly and thriving in an increasingly unpredictable century.
