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The UAE has come first in the latest Covid-19 global resilience rankings, followed by Cyprus, Bahrain and Israel.
The Emirates was placed first in the Pandemic Resilience Index 2022, which was compiled by the Consumer Choice Centre, an advocacy group based in the US.
Mass testing, vaccination approval and distribution of booster shots were among the key factors that helped the UAE to secure the top spot.
The UAE was the pioneer of the booster rollout. Countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Canada took five months longer to get it up and running
Maria Chaplia,
Consumer Choice Centre
The original index, which collated data up until March last year, ranked the UAE second in the world when it came to Covid-19 resilience.
However, the updated index incorporates new data between the end of March and late November last year, taking into consideration each country's booster programme.
“The UAE was the pioneer of the booster rollout,” said Maria Chaplia, research manager at the Consumer Choice Centre.
“Countries such as New Zealand, Ukraine, Australia, Spain and Canada took five months longer to get it up and running.
“Compared to the initial results, the change in the ranking is largely due to the booster vaccine rollout delays.”
According to the data, Israel, which was ranked the most resilient country in the original index, started administering boosters 75 days later than the UAE.
With the onset of new variants of the infection over the past nine months, Ms Chaplia said the UAE dramatically increased its testing to try to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Greece recorded the highest increase in testing — up 500 per cent — between March and November last year, while Luxembourg and Sweden reduced their testing.
The Pandemic Resilience Index ranked 40 countries according to their health systems' resilience to the Covid-19 crises.
It scored countries out of 10 for the efforts in tackling the pandemic head on, with the UAE securing 9.5.
The only two countries to move down the list were Israel, which moved from first to fourth, and the UK, which fell from fourth to seventh.
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
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