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A 100-bed floating hospital that set sail from the UAE two weeks ago docked in Al Arish port in Egypt and has begun receiving patients.
The repurposed vessel will support relief efforts for Gaza.
This floating hospital is part of the UAE's continuing humanitarian campaign – known as Gallant Knight 3 – ordered by President Sheikh Mohamed which aims to provide a vital lifeline to the people of Gaza.
“The inauguration of the hospital will enhance the medical support system that the UAE provides to the people of Gaza and alleviate the severity of the conditions they are suffering from, as the hospital has been equipped with the best and most modern equipment that contributes to providing all types of treatment and medical care according to the best standards and global protocols,” Dr Falah Al Mahmoud, director of the UAE Floating Hospital, told The National.
The hospital was established jointly between the UAE’s Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Ports Authority group, and includes about 100 medical and administrative staff specialising in anaesthesia, general surgery, orthopaedics, and emergency services.
Doctors from both the UAE and Egypt will be part of the team that will run the hospital aboard the vessel for the foreseeable future.
“Things were very difficult in Gaza and were able to finally evacuate via the Rafah border a couple of weeks ago. But my father has difficulty breathing and was receiving weekly treatments for his severe asthma in Gaza before the war,” Fatima Mohammed told The National.
“The wait times for his treatment in Al Arish have been long sometimes so for us to be able to get him treatment on this ship has made our lives a little bit easier,” she added.
The floating hospital has a capacity of 100 beds and includes operating rooms, intensive care units, radiology, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and medical warehouses.
The hospital docked off Al Arish port will complement the role of the Emirati field hospital inside Gaza which first launched in December, Dr Al Mahmoud told The National. The hospital inside Gaza currently has a capacity of 200 beds and includes a medical staff consisting of 83 volunteers of 21 nationalities, including 59 men and 24 women.
As of February 22, the Emirati field hospital has received more than 5,770 patients, most of whom required life-saving surgeries.
Dr Al Mahmoud added that the floating hospital is equipped with a helipad and a sea boat, which would enhance the response to emergencies and difficult cases that require rapid medical intervention.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
