Irish embassies in Gulf countries have reassured their citizens living and working abroad that they are doing everything they can to keep them safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a four-page letter, Aidan Cronin and Gerard McCoy, Ambassadors of Ireland in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, respectively, said the global health emergency has brought “normal life to a standstill”.
With more than 16,500 Irish citizens living in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, the pair said they were hopeful life could return to normal “in the not too distant future”.
Mr Cronin and Mr McCoy also expressed thanks to their home country’s front-line health workers who continue to work thousands of miles from home in hospitals and clinics across the GCC.
“A significant proportion of the Irish community in this region work here as healthcare professionals,” the letter said.
“We are extremely grateful to them for their dedication and enormously proud of their service to the whole community.”
They also praised their colleagues in the EU and UK who have helped fly Irish citizens back home after flight disruptions brought the aviation industry to a halt in March.
Many individuals were repatriated on flights via Amsterdam, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Zagreb, Zurich.
The ambassadors urged their citizens to try to stay fit and healthy while adhering to stay-home orders, which have become the new norm for many.
They also emphasised the importance of residents taking care of their mental health at this time.
Over the past few decades, a construction boom in the Gulf countries has provided lucrative job opportunities for thousands of Irish construction professionals.
The region’s rapidly growing expatriate population includes many Irish citizens in other sectors too, including education and finance.
“Ireland has a very strong team here in the Gulf, with regional offices of Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and IDA Ireland, all supported by a very strong and active Irish business community,” Mr Cronin and Mr McCoy said.
“The priority right now is to overcome this global crisis.
“Ireland is also preparing for the post-Covid-19 recovery phase, with a whole-of-Government response which includes a range of supports to facilitate businesses getting up and running as quickly as possible once this emergency has passed.”
In that context, the ambassadors call on the country’s citizens to share ideas as to how Ireland can grow its presence in the region in the “post-Covid-19 world”.
“We look forward to reconnecting and discussing with you all in person how we can best achieve this once the current crisis has passed,” they said.
“If, in the meantime, you want to share any ideas as to how we can strengthen our relationships in the period ahead, we would be delighted to hear from you.”
Throughout the pandemic, the embassies said they would continue to provide regular updates via the Twitter accounts @IrelandEmbUAE and @IrishEmbRiyadh.
