Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, has called on the international community to be fully prepared for future emergencies and learn lessons from the devastation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also warned that no nation could be immune from the impact of crises and disasters, underlining the importance of remaining on high alert.
Dr Gargash highlighted the UAE's resilience in the face of the coronavirus pandemic — which killed nearly seven million people, disrupted economies, halted travel and triggered lockdowns all over the world — during an address at a National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority conference held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The Emirates served as a global model for how to successfully manage the pandemic, he said.
The success of Expo 2020 Dubai — which attracted more than 24 millions visitors from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022 — was an example of how the country had risen to the challenge of rebuilding its economy while protecting public health, Dr Gargash added.
“It became very clear that a country's national efficiency, organisation and ability to manage society was a main factor in dealing with crisis regardless of the nature and make-up of its political system,” he said.
“Perhaps the most important lesson learnt from the major crises that faced the world during the past few years is to reach a firm conviction that the national state possessing strong institutions and co-ordinating mechanisms can excel in managing crises and disasters and spare its people the repercussions and negative effects in the event of any crisis or natural disaster.”
Dr Gargash also spoke of the UAE's economic growth, the boost to foreign trade and the surge in tourism in 2022, at a time when many parts of the world were still struggling to turn back the tide of the pandemic.
He said it was crucial to have frameworks to mitigate the impact of emergencies such as the pandemic.
Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, National Security Adviser and Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, stressed the importance of being proactive in remarks made before the start of the conference.
“We in the UAE recognise the importance of pre-emptive action and preparing for the future, especially in the field of emergency, crisis and disaster management, whose consequences can negatively affect the lives of human beings,” said Sheikh Tahnoun, who has served as served as National Security Adviser since 2016, when the late President, Sheikh Khalifa, appointed him to the position.
“And human beings are, and always will be, our top priority.
“In this spirit, we spare no effort in equipping the human capacities with skills and training, and in providing the foundations of a dignified and secure life for all residents of this good land, thus paving the way for a safer future for coming generations that could otherwise be affected by the ramifications of crises and environmental, social or political disturbances.”
UAE response to Covid-19 pandemic
The UAE took urgent steps to safeguard the health of the public while protecting the economy as the virus rapidly spread around the world.
Stay-home measures and deep-cleaning operations were introduced in the early stages of the outbreak. Offices and schools were closed as a precautionary measure and flights were suspended.
Authorities introduced social-distancing rules and made the wearing of face masks in public mandatory.
The UAE launched a nationwide vaccination campaign to limit community transmission in December 2020.
Within a year, the UAE announces its vaccination drive had administered enough shots to inoculate 100 per cent of the eligible population with at least one dose.
In November 2022, authorities lifted almost all remaining Covid-19 safety restrictions, including the wearing of masks both outside and in indoors.
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
