Animal viruses, the most famous of which are avian, swine, Ebola and HIV viruses, are the most dangerous types of viruses in humans, because the human immune system has not previously encountered them and are antibodies to them, and for this they cause large numbers of victims. Today, the world faces the latest global pandemic of these zoonotic viruses, the emerging corona virus - SARS Cove 2 - that causes the "Covid-19" disease.

Despite the negative impact of the virus, it is also an opportunity for nations and nations to test their abilities to overcome crises, innovating solutions and launching with a stronger acceleration towards the future, with their experiences and proven infrastructure, methods of governance and governance. Perhaps one of the most prominent examples of facing and controlling this crisis in the world and the region is the United Arab Emirates, although the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the Emirates announced on January 29, 2020 the diagnosis of the first case of coronavirus emerging in the country for people from one family coming from Wuhan, China, the number of registered cases of this virus in the country after about a month and more than 22 days until the hour of writing this article did not exceed 153 cases. On the other hand, other countries recorded tens of thousands of confirmed cases in a similar period, so how did the UAE succeed in the battle to contain the next danger with the least negative effects on society and the economy?

Solid foundations

Successful countries are the countries that are preparing for the future, and this means being ready to take advantage of the opportunities presented on the one hand, and also preparing for risks and sudden disasters on the other hand. Among the most informed of what was said in preparing for the future, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Our goal is to create the future, not to expect it, and governments that are not ready for the future will waste years and lose wealth.” It is from this vision that the UAE has long prepared for crisis and disaster management with its establishment in 2007 the National Authority for Emergency, Disaster and Crisis in the interest of rational leadership in the safety of the lives of citizens and residents on the territory of the state, in order to preserve the gains and properties, and today it works to coordinate the roles of the relevant authorities in The state to confront the spread of the "Covid-19" virus, and participate in preparing and coordinating contingency plans and following up on their implementation in cooperation with the various authorities in the country.

In terms of government services, government departments in the UAE moved early towards adopting the elements of the smart environment, and worked to convert to smart services, implement digital transformation initiatives to provide their services remotely, and work remotely, including the Dubai Smart Initiative, and the Dubai paperless strategy, which seeks To completely transform the Dubai government into a paperless government in 2021.

Rapid Response

Since the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, the rational leadership in the country has seen that the human being represents the pillar of development, and the goal of it, and as the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, said: “Real wealth is the wealth of men, not money and oil.” Therefore, in the interest of the safety of all the residents of the Emirates on the one hand, and the preservation of their livelihoods on the other hand, the UAE authorities did not delay in responding to the global outbreak of the virus, and they dealt very seriously with the problem, so they set out quickly to take a set of measures that included a number of short and medium term measures , And long-range.

The relevant authorities in the country started to implement a set of preventive precautions in entry points in the country, and launched a mechanism for epidemiological monitoring according to the standards of the World Health Organization, including operating thermal scanners and conducting medical tests, and strengthening the stock of medical supplies. The Ministry of Health and Community Protection stated that it had conducted laboratory tests of more than 127,000 cases at the national level to ensure their safety and freedom from symptoms of the Corona virus, until March 17, 2020. According to the examination numbers, it was found that 13 thousand and 20 individuals out of every million people were examined, This is the percentage that the UAE, with a population of 9.6 million, outperforms the countries most affected by the disease at the level of the size of the tests performed compared to the population.

Domestic and global cooperation

The United Arab Emirates has always been known as the country that opens its arms to mutually beneficial relations with all countries based on human foundations and respect. During the ongoing crisis, she expressed her moral and material sympathy for all countries affected by the virus. Indeed, the rational Emirati leadership has long followed the approach of cooperation, building partnerships and strengthening its international relations within the framework of its vision to prepare for the future, so that these relations will be a useful pillar in the time of prosperity and when crises occur.

In addition to external cooperation, the country has worked to cooperate with the private sector in the country in terms of entering goods, encouraging the use of online shopping applications, and coordinating efforts to contribute to anti-virus efforts and support the economy in this crisis.

In addition to a package of preventive precautionary measures in the entry points to the state, everyone in the UAE, government, individuals, companies and leadership, even in light of this crisis, works in a unified and homogeneous way to preserve this country to remain among the best countries in the world.

Successful countries are countries that are preparing to take advantage of opportunities and also prepare for risks and disasters.