UAE Ambassador to US Yousef Al Otaiba Meets with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Carries Message from UAE Foreign Minister

Extends Commitment to Coordinate and Provide Mutual Assistance on Response to COVID-19

This week, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to the United States (US) Yousef Al Otaiba met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to deliver a message from UAE Foreign Minister His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan that conveyed continued support and solidarity with the US, as both countries work to protect the public and prevent the global spread of COVID-19.

The UAE Foreign Minister’s message to Secretary Pompeo reaffirmed the country’s commitment to provide medical assistance to any private American citizen or member of the US armed forces residing in the Emirates.

In addition, the UAE has offered to facilitate any repatriation of US citizens, if necessary, through the US customs pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport. This includes making the airport available to any US airlines that may want to schedule special flights to or from the US.

In the meeting with Secretary Pompeo, Ambassador Al Otaiba noted that the UAE is taking extensive measures to control the spread of the virus, including conducting one of the world’s most comprehensive testing initiatives. Already more than 127,000 people in the UAE have been tested.

Ambassador Al Otaiba also said that since this global health crisis began, the UAE has worked with the US and multilateral partners like the World Health Organization to provide humanitarian assistance and medical supplies for countries with significant needs. This includes recent humanitarian and medical aid flights to Iran, which provided critical supplies, such as laboratory diagnostic kits and protective equipment for healthcare workers and other first responders.