The Government of United Arab Emirates donates medical equipment and supplies to the Maldives

08 June 2020

The Government of the United Arab Emirates has donated 72 tonnes of crucial medical equipment and supplies worth AED 18,331,425.00 (≈ USD 5 million) to support the Government’s efforts in responding to COVID-19. The donation was delivered on a special cargo flight which arrived in Male’ today.

This donation includes Real Time PCR Systems, PCR Extraction Machine, COVID-19 diagnostic extraction kits and PCR kits for 30,000 tests. Personal protective equipment which includes disposable coveralls, shoe covers, face shields, masks, gloves and hand sanitizers were also supplied in the donation.

The Government of Maldives has expressed its immense gratitude to the Leadership, the Government and the brotherly people of the United Arab Emirates for this gesture of goodwill and generosity in this critical period. This donation will undoubtedly aid to increase the testing capacity and contribute to overcome the humanitarian and the economic challenges faced due the community outbreak of COVID-19, specifically, as Maldives aspires to ease the restrictions and turn towards the steps of normalcy.

The Government of Maldives also appreciated the consistent priority given by the United Arab Emirates towards the needs of the people of Maldives. The United Arab Emirates has been an important development partner of the Maldives since late 1970s, supporting the country on key infrastructure projects. Most recently, on 9 March 2020, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed to provide MVR 771 million (USD 50 million) to the Maldives as grant aid for the year 2020.

This timely and important donation to the people of Maldives reflects the close friendship and the significant historic ties of more than four decades that exist between the two brotherly nations.

ENDS