The drunken behaviour of three RAF airmen who were arrested on suspicion of car theft in the UAE has forced the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to apologise to authorities in the Middle Eastern nation.

The incident occurred as the men were leaving a concert by the US singer Justin Timberlake in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Gulf state.

They are thought to have tried to get into a vehicle belonging to the brother of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President.

The Tornado crewmen, who were in Abu Dhabi as part of an exercise with multinational forces, were accused by local police of car theft and drink-driving. They were released on Sunday after spending three days in jail and are believed to have been ordered to remain in Abu Dhabi until next week when they will face a trial.

Alcohol is freely available in the UAE, which is much more socially permissive than neighbouring Saudi Arabia and is home to a large number of Western expats. However, public drunkenness is not tolerated and the authorities are particularly sensitive about any offence caused towards the ruling royal family.

Although the death penalty remains on the books in the UAE and judges continue to sentence some offenders to be flogged, the three men are expected to be given heavy fines rather than imprisonment if convicted.

However, they also face disciplinary action and the prospect of a court martial when they return to Britain, with the possibility that they will be demoted in rank or dismissed from the Forces.

The incident led to a diplomatic incident between the UAE and Britain, and an apology was issued by British diplomats.

Relations between the two countries are good, and the UAE is Britain’s largest export market in the Middle East for non-military goods.

The Emirates, a federation of seven autonomous sheikhdoms with a population of more than 4.4 million, is one of the richest countries in the world.

According to the Foreign Office’s travel advice for the UAE, the main incidents for which British citizens required consular assistance in 2006 ranged from failing to observe the zero-tolerance policy towards drink-driving and other drink-related offences.

British military personnel on leave in the UAE are specifically briefed on local sensitivities and senior RAF commanders are understood to be particularly annoyed by the incident.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said last night: “The RAF can confirm that three off-duty RAF personnel were arrested in Abu Dhabi on December 6 by local police in connection with an alleged incident. They were released on bail on December 9.”

He added: “We expect our service personnel abroad to conduct themselves appropriately, taking into account local sensitivities and FCO travel advice.”

“We are unable to comment any further on this case until the legal process has concluded.”

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