Bill Gates shares vlog from Abu Dhabi's 'cool' vaccine storage warehouse

Footage shows billionaire philanthropist inspecting vast facilities of the Hope Consortium

Bill Gates has shared a video of his tour of a huge vaccine warehouse in Abu Dhabi, where millions of Covid-19 shots are stored.

The vlog shows Mr Gates inspecting the facilities of the Hope Consortium in Kizad.

He posted it to his Twitter account with the quote: “This warehouse is cool – for many reasons.”

It has since clocked up more than 184,000 views.

The video gives an insight into the massive logistical operation involved in storing vaccines, which need to be monitored carefully to ensure they do not spoil.

It takes viewers inside the sprawling warehouse, where vaccines are stored in boxes and crates on towering shelves.

“We’re in Abu Dhabi in the UAE looking at a big vaccine warehouse,” he says, standing in front of the building.

“It’s very modern. It’s got a lot of great refrigeration capacity. Things are tracked very well. It’s impressive to see millions Covid vaccines all in one place.

“Most vaccines spoil at room temperature and depending on the vaccine it either has to be below 8 degrees or it might have to, like some of the newer vaccines, be even colder.”

But figuring out how to get vaccines to countries is difficult, he said.

“As things get very complex, overwhelming the refrigeration capacity in some countries, having an intermediate stock like this can help a lot.

“Logistics are important, particularly if you have vaccines that expire in a short period of time. Vaccines save lives. Having vaccines here ready to go shows people have really stepped up in this pandemic.”

The consortium, made up of Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi Ports, Maqta Gateway, Rafed, and SkyCell, was established last year with the mission to distribute billions of vaccine doses around the world.

Earlier this year, the Hope Consortium expanded a vast freezer farm set up to store Covid-19 vaccines at ultra-cold temperatures.

Abu Dhabi Ports took delivery of an additional 32 freezers at its Kizad storage facility, raising the number of units to 53.

Hope Consortium vaccine hub - in pictures

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  Vaccines require special conditions and this Abu Dhabi centre is able to provide them all.

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  Boxes of vaccines at the Hope Consortium Vaccine Hub in Abu Dhabi.

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  Dr Omar Najim, executive director at the Department of Health, at the Hope Consortium centre in Abu Dhabi.

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  Boxes of vaccines at the Hope Consortium Vaccine Hub in Abu Dhabi.

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  Robert Sutton, head of the Logistics Cluster at Abu Dhabi Ports, in the UAE's largest freezer centre, where temperatures are set for the various vaccines stored at the facility.

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  Robert Sutton, head of the Logistics Cluster at Abu Dhabi Ports, in the UAE's largest freezer centre, where temperatures are set for the various vaccines stored at the facility.

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  A stacker crane handles boxes of vaccines, placing them on the shelves at the Hope Consortium Vaccine Hub in Abu Dhabi.

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  Robert Sutton, head of the Logistics Cluster at Abu Dhabi Ports, in the UAE's largest freezer centre, where temperatures are set for the various vaccines stored at the facility.

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  Boxes of vaccines at the Hope Consortium Vaccine Hub in Abu Dhabi.

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  The Hope Consortium Vaccine Hub in Abu Dhabi.