In a bid to boost the efforts to curb Coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates sent 6.6 tonnes of medical aid to the country through a special chartered flight that arrived in London on Friday. The shipment contains over 6 tonnes of melt-blown fabric which serves as a key component in making surgical face masks. This aid will enable the UK to produce millions of essential face masks to support the healthcare and sanitation workers as they grapple with the pandemic at the frontline.

Responding to the aid, the UAE Ambassador to the UK, Mansoor Abulhoul regarded Britain as one of the UAE's closest friends and allies, adding that the authorities are delighted to assist the country amid the global health crisis. He asserted that the Emirates is committed to helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic across the world.

Earlier in April, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, had provided 60 tonnes of urgent medical aid to Britain as a sign of “strong historical relations between the UAE and the UK.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had extended gratitude towards the UAE for the supply of medical aid including PPE for the fight against Covid-19. Taking to Twitter in May, he had posted, "The UAE are true friends and valued partners, and we will continue to work together to tackle this global pandemic."

In line with the UAE-UK ties, the NHS has been given rent-free use of ExCel London, the conference centre owned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, which is currently serving as the NHS Nightingale - temporary hospitals set up by NHS England for virus-infected patients.

As soon as COVID-19 started spreading across parts of the UAE, the administration began restructuring of several factories to produce the much-needed PPE. With the introduction of one of the world’s most comprehensive testing and tracking regimes, the Emirate has been able to test 2 million people and is looking to forward to testing nearly all 9 million citizens and residents of the country. Balanced management of the supply chain by the UAE authorities has ensured that domestic supplies of melt-blown fabric are not exhausted. The fabric is largely used in the oil industry and is manufactured in the UAE.

Committed to assisting world governments in tackling COVID-19, the UAE has supplied necessary medical equipment including tonnes of melt-blown fabric across several countries. So far, it has sent more than 716 tonnes of medical aid to 63 countries, assisting more than 716,000 medical professionals around the world.

Meanwhile, the UAE has reported over 37,600 infected cases, out of whom over 20,000 patients have recovered from the virus.

WAM