Discrete thermal screening for all inbound passengers at airports.
Regularly monitoring outbound travel of citizens and residents.
Closing all educational institutions as a preventive measure.
Establishing clear health and hygiene protocols for UAE nationals and expats to reduce risks.
Deep cleaning for aircraft and schools alike.
Setting up the Emirates Humanitarian City for Arab evacuees from Wuhan.
Alerting Emiratis travelling abroad on the latest situation through a dedicated app.
With all these unprecedented measures and more, the UAE has been at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus in the region and beyond. It has moved swiftly and proactively to manage the risks associated with the contagion without creating any panic. Those actions have enabled people to carry on with their daily lives and activities with minimal disruptions.
Dubai has demonstrated utmost transparency in dealing with the ever-evolving situation around the coronavirus outbreak – sometimes at a significant cost to its immediate commercial prospects
That job has become even more challenging due to Dubai’s status as a global travel hub, attracting millions of people from every corner of the globe through the world’s busiest international airport.
It’s therefore commendable that Dubai has demonstrated utmost transparency in dealing with the ever-evolving situation around the coronavirus outbreak – sometimes at a significant cost to its immediate commercial prospects.
Some milestone events and conferences have been cancelled or postponed with people’s safety and health being the topmost priority for the leadership. Health authorities continue to work with international bodies and experts round the clock to offer the maximum levels of care to all communities.
From exploring viable solutions with Bill Gates for a cure to setting up the humanitarian city in two days, the UAE and Dubai remain ever vigilant of their shared responsibility in the war against coronavirus.
Of course, Dubai is not alone in facing up to the disastrous impact of the coronavirus. From Los Angeles to London and Lombardy, San Francisco to Seoul and Milan to Malta, iconic images and video clips of supermarket raids, empty shelves and long queues of panic-buying have taken the world by storm.
Meanwhile, in Dubai, malls continue to attract shoppers. Public transports are full of people. Google Maps still turns a deep red for the evening commute from Dubai to Sharjah.
Life goes on
People still jostle for space on Karama sidewalks and queue up for karak tea in alleys of Jumeirah. The humdrum of daily life continues mostly unchanged.
And that’s not good news to some vested interests in the Western press, who routinely revel in spreading fake news and smear campaigns about the UAE and Dubai.
That viral picture of an empty Dubai creek without any vessels? That’s as dangerously fake as the systematic smear campaign against Emirati products last year.
Both Deira Wharfage and Al Hamriyah Port continue to function as normal with additional precautions in place.
Those whispers about the lack of any thermal checks at Dubai Airport?
That’s also equally irresponsible – since Dubai Airports has put in place extremely unobtrusive measures in place for thermal scanning of every traveler since the beginning of the outbreak.
It’s so discrete that many people perhaps never even realized they were being screened.
Dubai has always stood out for its resilience in the face of adversity — whether in facing global financial challenges or natural disasters.
Its journey from the desert to one of the world’s most awe-inspiring cities was built on a bedrock of resilience and integrity.
Today, faced with the unprecedented battle against a virulent virus, this cacophony of vile rumours only serves to strengthen Dubai’s determination to be a responsible partner in the global war against coronavirus while protecting the health and safety of its residents.
