‘His kindness is overwhelming’: US celebrity Steve Harvey praises UAE President

Dubai: The generosity of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayhan in UAE’s assistance to communities abroad impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has won heartfelt praises from US comedian and TV host Steve Harvey.

Harvey, who has earlier toured the UAE, revealed that the free-of-charge supplies of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to Botswana in Africa – for which Harvey has been credited in facilitating – was in fact all thanks to the kindness of Sheikh Mohamed.

The remarks come in a video of Harvey posted on Saturday by UAE Forsan – which describes itself as “a voluntary media group which aims to serve as a leading platform in showcasing news, events and achievements of the United Arab Emirates and its residents” – on its YouTube channel.

The video is an excerpt from Harvey’s keynote at the Invest Fest 2022 event in August in Atlanta, USA.

“This man [Sheikh Mohamed] is one of the kindest men in power I’ve ever seen,” Harvey says in the clip.

Explaining the “overwhelming kindness” of Sheikh Mohamed in the context of the COVID relief in Botswana, Harvey said the southern African country had placed a paid-for order of PPE from a country - but never received the shipment.

'Can you help them?'

“So I called up the government of the UAE and said, ‘Can you help these people?’… And they got the Ruler [Sheikh Mohamed] on the phone.”

Promptly, on the President’s orders, 7 tonnes of PPE supplies were flown from Abu Dhabi to Botswana on two cargo planes.

“[Sheikh Mohamed] gave it to them for zero [cost], he didn’t charge them one single coin. What Ruler do you know who does that, cares about another group of people?”

Harvey added that he was told “This [relief] is from you and your wife” – however, Harvey goes on to share in the clip that “[Botswana] thanked us but I couldn’t just keep taking credit for that”.

Harvey said: “So let me quit playing it out like it was me. No, it was this man [Sheikh Mohamed]… one of the most powerful men in the world… When you meet these people [Emiratis], they are the kindest, most sincere people I’ve ever been around. And I will stand up and say that about this man anywhere I go in the world.”

Harvey also lauded the UAE’s safety and security, describing it as a place where there is virtually no joblessness or homelessness.

“He takes care of the people.”