The UAE and US governments are working tirelessly to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also acting globally to support the international community. Reflecting a deeply held belief that we are stronger united than apart, the UAE is engaged in efforts to combine the best of human ingenuity, fortitude and kindness to defeat the virus, and improve future global preparedness.
At the beginning of the pandemic, several Emirati doctors remained at their positions in US hospitals and medical institutions across the country to support and work alongside their American counterparts in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, originally from Abu Dhabi, is an internal medicine resident at Stanford Health Care, where he is treating COVID-19 patients.
The UAE is committed to providing medical assistance to any private American citizen or member of the US armed forces residing in or visiting the country. In addition, the UAE also offered to help repatriate US citizens through the US customs pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, and make the airport available to any US airlines that need to schedule special flights to or from the US.
The UAE government and national airlines worked closely with the US Mission to the UAE to repatriate a total of 733 American citizens back to the US. The UAE Embassy in Washington, DC also organized special charter flights out of Dulles International Airport for both UAE nationals and US citizens who work in the UAE or whose families live there.
Since this global health crisis began, the UAE has worked with US partners to expand coronavirus testing, support scientific research and study of the virus and develop innovative solutions to enhance care for COVID patients.
- In May, Mubadala and its aerospace manufacturing subsidiary Strata announced a partnership with American company Honeywell to set up a new production line for N95 face masks at Strata’s Al Ain facility. The production line will produce 90,000 masks per week and fill critical needs for medical staff in the UAE and beyond.
- As long-time supporters of Children’s National Hospital, Ambassador Al Otaiba and his wife Abeer were among the initial supporters who helped launch the hospital’s drive-up COVID-19 testing location at Trinity Washington University, the first of its kind in the Washington, DC area.
- Millions of test kits from the UAE have been distributed to communities around the US, including Nevada. One of the largest mass COVID-19 testing sites opened in Las Vegas with help from a donation of more than 200,000 test kits from the UAE. The Nevada COVID-19 task force partnered with the UAE and G42, a technology company based in Abu Dhabi to help University Medical Center develop the high-volume testing site and laboratory.
- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is working to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the UAE while continuing to provide world-class care and treatment to patients. The hospital set up screening tents outside its emergency room and launched an app that allows patients to schedule virtual appointments with their doctor.
Ambassador Al Otaiba and the UAE Embassy are also supporting other organizations and charities in and around DC, working to assist those confronting medical and economic challenges caused by this public health crisis. Find out how you can help below:
“Thanks to the growing support for this initiative, we are having a dual impact on the community by helping local restaurants remain operational and expressing gratitude to the nurses, doctors and other health care staff who are working around-the-clock during the COVID-19 pandemic response,” said Elena Tompkins, founder of Feed the Fight.
