The president of the UAE, Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, has enacted a law requiring mandatory military service for all Emiratis aged between 18 and 30.

Men who have finished secondary school will have to undergo military training for nine months, while those who have not will serve two years.

Participation for women, who can only serve for nine months, is optional and will require the approval of their legal guardians.

Military service will include training periods, military exercises and lectures on patriotism and security.

According to the law, which will be enforced by the end of this year, citizens who complete the mandatory military service will enjoy a range of benefits including priority for taking up jobs at government institutions and private businesses, marriage grants, housing plots and scholarships.

Citizens who fail to enlist for military service without valid reason until they reach 29 years of age will face a jail term of between one month and a year, or a fine ranging between AED10,000 ($2,722.5) and AED50,000, or both.

In March, Qatar’s emir signed a similar law requiring male Qataris between the ages of 18 to 35 to train with the country’s armed forces for three to four months.

Under the law, men must train in the military for at least three months if they are college graduates, and four months if they have high school diplomas or have dropped out of school. Those enrolled in university can delay conscription until after graduation.

Penalties for not enrolling in the national service programme include up to one year in jail and/or fines of QR20,000 ($5,492.4).

Those who fail to undertake the mandatory national service are also not eligible for jobs and will not be granted a licence to do business in Qatar.