The UAE was awarded the first spot among Middle Eastern countries by the Global Soft Power Index for its proactive handling and management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took to Twitter and shared the details about the achievement. In his tweet, he said that Britain-based Brand Finance issued a questionnaire for the Global Soft Power Index which included tens of thousands of people in 105 countries across the world. He added that the UAE ranked first in the Middle Eastern region and the 14th spot in the world in terms of its efficient and effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It received the first spot with a net score of +33%. From international aid to vaccine development, the continuous efforts of the UAE leadership and other entities helped the nation in handling the pandemic better than its neighbours and achieve the feat.

At the same time, New Zealand has received +43% score, emerging on top in best handling the pandemic. On the other hand, the United States has ranked at the bottom among world government with a score of -16%.

On Friday, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it carried out more than 144,000 new COVID-19 tests across the world using its state-of-the-art medical testing equipment. The Ministry recorded 1,284 new Coronavirus -infected cases, while 765 more people have recovered from the disease.

In its statement, the Ministry has highlighted its agenda to expand the scope of COVID-19 testing across the nation in a bid to facilitate early detection of new Coronavirus cases and ensure the best possible treatment for the infected patients.