UAE sends over 6 tonnes of medical material to UK

Director of Strategic Communications at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Gulf State stands with UK in aiding those on the frontlines to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

LONDON - The United Arab Emirates sent over six tonnes of material to the United Kingdom that will help the country produce millions of items of personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of the Gulf State’s global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The 6.6-tonne shipment of melt blown fabric arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on a special chartered flight on Friday morning as the UK is struggling to keep up with demand for PPE.

Director of Strategic Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hend al-Otaiba, wrote on Twitter that the UAE “stands with the UK in aiding those on the frontlines to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.”

The British government announced last week that it would rebuild its stockpile of PPE.

“We all heard in the early weeks of the crisis, the calls from the front line for more and better PPE, and we all saw the global scramble to acquire it,” said British Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on May 20 that the deaths of 181 NHS workers and 131 social care workers had sadly been reported involving COVID-19.

Global shortages of the protective gear frontline staff need to keep them safe left many health and care workers under-equipped and vulnerable in their fight against COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic.

This UAE’s shipment will enable the UK to manufacture millions of protective face masks.

“We are delighted to be able to assist Britain, one of our closest friends and allies. The UAE is committed to helping fight COVID-19 wherever it can and has donated aid to 63 countries around the world," said Mansoor Abulhoul, Emirati ambassador to the UK.

In April, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum donated 60 tonnes of urgent medical aid to the UK.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company offered the use of its exhibition centre ExCel London to Britain’s National Health Service free of charge.

ExCel London was turned into a Nightingale field hospital, one of the world’s largest hospitals, with space for 4,000 beds.

The UAE is committed to helping the world fight COVID-19. It has sent more than 716 tonnes of medical aid to 63 countries. More than 716,000 medical professionals have been assisted around the world.