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The Emirates and the Art of Crisis Management
A worker in the emirate of Sharjah sprays disinfectant aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus in March. (François Nel/Getty Images)

The Emirates and the Art of Crisis Management

Al-Etihad, UAE, March 31

“We must think of our country as a ship sailing through turbulent oceans. … We must all work to maintain order and help it steer to safe waters because the survival of this ship will enable our own survival.” These were the words of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates, who embodied the vision of leadership and civic duty that characterized the UAE since its establishment. Indeed, the UAE’s DNA calls each and every citizen to exert the utmost efforts to protect the country’s achievements. I believe that this statement is also the basis on which the UAE government’s policy of emergency and crisis management in general, and risk management in particular, has been applied. This policy has already proven successful since the creation of the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management within the organizational structure of the Supreme Council for National Security in May 2007. There is plentiful evidence for the success of the authority in dealing with emergency situations, especially in the field of health. Three main situations come to mind: The first was while facing the 2009 swine flu (also known as H1N1). The second crisis was in dealing with the 2014 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infection. The third crisis is the one we’re currently experiencing with the novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19), which has infected almost a million people worldwide and caused the death of more than 40,000 individuals. The UAE government, through the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management, was quick to respond to COVID-19 by issuing gradual, rational, and calm directives to the public. Therefore, the Emirati public was fully cooperative and well prepared to deal with new measures as they were announced. It is also clear that the government’s careful planning ensured that the business sector was not entirely affected by the spread of the virus, thanks to the Authority’s Business Continuity Protocol, which enabled employees to work from home. The success of the Emirati government in combating COVID-19 is a striking example of the so-called art of crisis management. The performance of the UAE government and the joint work of all concerned authorities in the country at both the state and federal level allowed us to confront the spread of the virus at an early stage. This greatly protected our citizens and residents from the full damage of the disease. This echoes the words of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE, who noted that in order to increase our national cohesion and continue marching in the path of sustainable development, we must “strengthen the cooperation that exists between federal and local authorities” by ensuring fruitful coordination in promotion of the public interest. The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management has undoubtedly followed these orders by confronting the current crisis with a clear, responsible, and transparent strategy. – Abdullah Mohammed Al-Shaybah (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)

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