Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum holds a virtual meeting.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, held a virtual meeting with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

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Sheikh Mohammed said, “I held a meeting with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, some of our ambassadors and the MoFAIC Operations staff. Our diplomats have risen to the challenge, demonstrating high efficiency, in terms of preempting and preparing for all scenarios. Our nation fully appreciates their efforts.”

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed attends an online meeting with Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“Most of our students and citizens abroad have smoothly returned to the UAE. Those who remain for exceptional circumstances receive continuous care. Our domestic and foreign teams are strong. Caring for our citizens at home/abroad will remain a subject of great attention.

“Our message to the international community: We are now stronger as a community, unified & cooperative. After this pandemic, the world needs new health, economic & political cooperation systems. We must keep pace with events that can paralyse the world in weeks.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has taken all necessary measures to evacuate Emirati citizens and their companions abroad, in co-ordination with UAE embassies and representative missions abroad.

This photo shows a virtual meeting of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

MoFAIC and UAE missions have reached out to Emiratis abroad to check on them and facilitate all procedures to bring them and their companions back to the homeland safely, following the decision to suspend all incoming and outgoing flights in a number of countries around the world amid the COVID-19 outbreak around the world.

Khaled Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated that 39 evacuations of Emiratis and those accompanying them have been completed by air and by land, equivalent to the evacuation of a total of 1,743 people, and 25 evacuations are under way and shall be completed within the next few days.

He stressed the keenness and follow-up of MoFAIC’s leadership on the full progress of work to ensure Emirati citizens return home safely and to facilitate the procedures necessary for their evacuation to the UAE.