terrorism units in addition to other specialised units for disaster management, criminal search, security surveillance and abductions operations. Over 100 personnel from the UAE police are sent to Germany every year for training in various areas, said Sheikh Saif. "At the moment there are 50 UAE officers training in Germany. They are receiving specialized training in the areas of search and rescue operations in addition to the fields of communications, economy, IT and management," said Sheikh Saif. This is in addition to a close cooperation with Germany in the area of civil defence training. The ministry runs training programmes in the UAE under the supervision of German experts, said Sheikh Saif. Sheikh Saif told the magazine that the UAE has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Crimes such as homicide, rape and burglary are rare. Schily, who arrived late Friday in Abu Dhabi for a two-day visit, praised Abu Dhabi police for their role in combating crime and protecting children. The Berlin minister called the UAE a "strategic partner" for Germany in the war against terrorism and organised crime. --SP 2341 Local Time 2041 GMT
