Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE was today briefed on the country’s efforts in combating the coronavirus outbreak. “Today we were briefed by the Covid-19 working group via video conference. We commend the immense efforts of the Emiratis working tirelessly for their country. This team work and cooperation is at the core of our national strategy. God protect the UAE and the entire world,” said Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter. Today, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed also led a video conference call as Dubai Executive Council members discussed the emirate's efforts to combat coronavirus. The Crown Prince of Dubai chaired a remote meeting of the council on Monday at which he stressed his confidence in measures adopted to contain the spread of the pandemic. Sheikh Hamdan was joined in the hi-tech meeting by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed, chairman of the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, and other council representatives. Sheikh Hamdan said navigating the challenges brought up by the current global climate required a collaborative spirit and an understanding of the need to make temporary changes to lifestyle. He thanked government and private sector organisations for helping to safeguard the health of the public. The council discussed the importance of using remote working systems to ensure services offered to residents are not disrupted. Dubai announced on Thursday it was introducing a raft of measures to allow federal staff to carry out duties away from the office if necessary. Certain staff including pregnant women, elderly members of the workforce and people with disabilities will be allowed to work remotely under the scheme. Flexible working hours will be offered to women who have children in school at Grade 9 or below. Staff will be encouraged to hold meetings via means such as video conferencing and over the phone rather than in person, while business travel is also to be evaluated.