The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council
is the premier business organization dedicated to advancing bilateral commercial
relations. By leveraging its extensive
... [Show More] networks in the U.S. and in the region, the
U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council provides unparalleled access to senior decision
makers in business and government with the aim of deepening bilateral trade and
investment.
U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council
2001 K Street NW
Suite 201 North
Washington D.C.
+202.863.7285
[email protected]
usuaebusiness.org
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INTRODUCTION
The coronavirus pandemic has tested public health systems globally. Few novel and infectious diseases
around the world have ever posed such dramatic challenges as the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which
causes COVID-19. With highly efficient human-to-human transmission and high mortality rates, COVID19 led the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern and
caused countries around the world to reassess their public health capabilities. The United Arab Emirates,
like other members of the international community, faced the unprecedented challenge of ensuring
public health and safety while minimizing economic fallout.
The U.A.E. government quickly took precautionary health measures after its first recorded case of
COVID-19 on the 29th of January 2020, setting the stage for the U.A.E. to be recognized as a global leader
in its COVID-19 response. The U.A.E. banned large gatherings, limited international travel, required
mandatory quarantines for travelers and those potentially exposed to the virus, encouraged telework,
and began an unparalleled effort of mass testing. These efforts by the U.A.E.’s leadership allowed the
U.A.E. to be globally ranked as one of the top countries, and the highest in the Arab world, in terms of its
COVID-19 response.
The U.A.E. government also quickly charted the path to post-pandemic recovery by prioritizing
vaccinations for its people. It began administering its first vaccine authorized for emergency use, China’s
Sinopharm vaccine, in December 2020, quickly followed by the American Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Four
main groups were targeted for inoculation, with the first group including Emiratis and residents aged 60
and older, people with chronic health conditions, and the disabled. The second group was frontline
health workers, the third other essential workers, and the fourth was members of the general public
who want to be vaccinated. The shots became available at mass vaccination sites organized by the Dubai
Health Authority, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, and other health entities within the Emirates. As
of June 1, 2021, more than 80 percent of the U.A.E.’s eligible population had been vaccinated.
Another key development was the ability of the U.A.E. to domestically manufacture key tools in the fight
against the pandemic. Honeywell signed an agreement with Mubadala Investment Company to produce
N95 face masks within the U.A.E., with an annual output capacity of nearly 30 million masks a year. This
venture allowed the U.A.E. to not only meet its national requirements, but also export this critical
product to frontlines around the world. Meanwhile, Group 42 (G42) entered an agreement with the
Chinese pharmaceutical entity Sinopharm CNBG to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines in the U.A.E. Thanks
to an industrial plant being built in the Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi, G42 will have a production
capability of nearly 200 million doses a year and will produce a COVID-19 vaccine called Hayat-Vax.
Hayat-Vax is already being produced in Ras Al Khaimah through a joint G42 and Gulf Pharmaceutical
Industries PSC (Julphar) venture.
The U.A.E.’s public health efforts were not limited to its own borders and citizens. Recognizing that
COVID-19 is a global challenge, the U.A.E. launched two entities to help global vaccine distribution
efforts. Abu Dhabi’s HOPE Consortium and the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance were formed to utilize
the U.A.E.’s strategic geographic location and its world-class logistical capabilities in the race to
vaccinate the world. Through April 2021, it was estimated that nearly one out of every 20 COVID-19
vaccine doses administered worldwide had been transported via Emirates through its role in the Dubai [Show Less]