On Thursday 28 January 2027 at 6pm, Dr Athol Yates will his consider the role of retired RAF personnel in building air forces. This lecture will be hosted virtually via Crowdcast.

While the contribution of serving, seconded Royal Air Force personnel to the early development of the air forces of the smaller Arab Gulf states has been recognised, the far more significant role of retired RAF officers and airmen has received remarkably little scholarly attention. From the 1960s through the 1980s, rulers in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait relied extensively on these former RAF professionals to establish, command, staff, train, and technically sustain their fledgling air arms.

This talk examines how these retired personnel served as commanders, planners, instructors, advisors, pilots, and technicians during a period of rapid military development. Drawing on archival material, interviews and memoirs, the presentation highlights both their practical achievements and the challenges they faced, including political sensitivities, cultural issues, and at times a dismissive attitude from the RAF towards their post‑service work.

By highlighting these largely overlooked actors, the talk argues for a reassessment of how air power expertise was transferred to the Gulf outside of bilateral cooperation, and calls for further study into the broader phenomenon of retired RAF personnel as pivotal builders of foreign air capability.

Associate Professor Athol Yates researches the military history of the UAE and the smaller Arab Gulf States. He has a particular interest in the development of the military, defence industry, policing, and intelligence sectors in the UAE. His recent books include Western Military Expatriates in the Armed Forces of the UAE: History and Impact, 1965–2024 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2026), The Military and Police Forces of the Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar 1921–1980(Solihull: Helion & Co, 2019), and The Evolution of the UAE Armed Forces (Solihull: Helion & Co, 2020).

RAF Museum

Business Month

Virtual Lecture: Forgotten Architects of Gulf Air Power: The Critical Role of Retired RAF Personnel in Building the Air Forces of the Smaller Arab Gulf States, 1960s–1980s