Teaching critical infrastructure protection and resilience using exercises and WebEOC: An examination of UAE undergraduate students’ after-action reports

Resilience for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was part of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the nation's founder, vision for the UAE when it was formed in 1971. Consequently, national, and local (Emirate) level governments adopt established standards and regulations and work with institutions that integrate robust training, testing, and exercises, to enhance their response capabilities in protecting Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR). Rabdan Academy (RA) is an academic institution established in 2015 to train the next generation of Emiratis in safety, security, defense, emergency, and crisis management (SSDEC) disciplines. Most RA students are employed and sponsored by local and national level agencies that contribute to Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience (CIPR) efforts in the UAE.