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Camp de la Paix (Implantation militaire française aux Émirats arabes unis)

Facility Details

Summary
Operating Country 🇫🇷 France
Location🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Status Active
Base typeSupport & logistics
Year established2009
Operating OrganizationFrench Navy
Units & ships
Air base 104 Al Dhafra5th Cuirassier Regiment
Location & Facilities
Coordinates24.5215°N, 54.3961°E
Facilities
1 Wharf · up to 300 m

Description

Camp de la Paix, also designated Implantation Militaire Française aux Émirats Arabes Unis (IMFEAU), is the French Armed Forces' joint installation in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Its naval component occupies the far end of the commercial harbour at Port Zayed, on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf, facing the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.

The naval element operates under ALINDIEN, the French flag officer commanding French forces in the Indian Ocean, and functions as the French Navy's support point for ships operating in the Gulf and the northern Indian Ocean rather than as a homeport for permanently assigned units. It provides port visits and logistic support to deployed French warships, with a naval staff of some 72 personnel. Total strength across the installation is in the range of 250 to 650 military personnel.

Berthing is provided along a 300 m quay with a 200 m wide handling area, accepting vessels drawing up to 10 m. This accommodates all classes of French Navy ships with the exception of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The installation is joint, and the naval base is co-located with two other components. The air element, Air Base 104 Al Dhafra, has hosted French fighter aircraft since 1 October 2008; the allotted parcel can hold up to six airframes, with Mirage 2000-5 fighters and about 57 personnel on station. The land component comprises a training camp roughly 50 km from Abu Dhabi, equipped for urban and desert warfare instruction and holding some 93 soldiers. The 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion transferred there from Djibouti in 2011 and was relieved by the 5th Cuirassier Regiment in 2016.

The base originates in the Franco-Emirati mutual defence agreement of 1995 and a January 2008 accord under which France established a permanent presence in Abu Dhabi. Under that agreement the United Arab Emirates financed the infrastructure while France funds equipment and operating costs. The installation was inaugurated on 26 May 2009, the first French base established outside Africa and the first new French foreign military installation in fifty years.

Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and other open sources. Last updated on 14 August 2026. Suggest a change
Latest Data Updates
  1. AUG 142026 Updated Overview, port facilities and resident units recorded
  2. AUG 142026 Created Page created: Camp de la Paix