CAIRO: Egypt and the UAE began operations for Zayed 3 on Friday, a joint two-week military exercise that includes special forces from both countries.

According to a spokesperson for the Egyptian Armed Forces, the drills, which kicked off in the UAE, include the transfer and exchange of military expertise between the two sides, as well as joint combat drills.

The spokesperson said that in preparation for the exercise, Egyptian military authorities “raised the bar of technical and combat competence” for participating units.

He added that the training objectives aim to “unify concepts” and “refine the skills” of Egyptian military units, in a way that contributes to “achieving the highest rates of competence and combat readiness.”

The Zayed 3 exercise comes as part of growing military cooperation between Egypt’s armed forces and allies.

Joint action between the Egyptian and Emirati armed forces will help confront the challenges that the region is facing, the spokesperson said.

UAE media reported that the exercise between the two countries is based on “a legacy of accumulated military expertise, and a wise and strong political will.”

Emirati and Egyptian armed forces occupy a leading position at the regional and global levels, UAE media said, adding that the combined combat experience of both countries helps in dealing with the challenges that threaten the region’s security.