Expo 2020 Dubai will be safe, thanks to Covid-19 vaccine

Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, said: “The rollout of Covid-19 vaccine globally is unprecedented in human history, a testament to human ability and human progress and also to human dignity.

"It is also happening at an astonishing pace, facilitated by the huge strides forward that travel and transport infrastructure has achieved in recent months."

The UAE on Tuesday announced that over 40 per cent of the country’s population has received the vaccine.

Globally, 176 million shots have been administered in different countries, with Israel and the UAE leading when it comes to doses per 100 population.

Al Hashemi praised the role played by the UAE airlines and other government bodies in delivering Covid-19 vaccines to different parts of the world.

“Earlier this month, an Emirates plane touched down in Johannesburg, bringing with it South Africa’s first consignment of Coivid-19 vaccination – a historic moment in the country’s fight against the pandemic. And that story is being repeated on every continent,” she said.

In Abu Dhabi, the Hope Consortium is leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of Etihad Cargo and Abu Dhabi Ports Company to deliver billions of vaccine doses around the world by the end of this year,” she said during the Expo Talks – Travel and Connectivity webinar held on Tuesday.

UAE top donor

“Furthermore, we are proud of delivering more foreign aid per capita than any other nation because that means we are making a real difference in corners of the globe. That is what we do, because that’s who we are.

"Every time one of those doses makes its way into the arms of the recipient, this marks a victory not just for medical science, but for our shared commitment to human life and societal progress,” she added.

“And when millions of people from all corners of the globe gather in Dubai this October, it will be safer and healthy and fully immersed in the culture and wonders of the countries from all reaches of the globe,” she said.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com