At the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held in Cairo from October 13 to 15, Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention, said the World Health Organization's logistics hub in Dubai had delivered medical supplies to 74 countries over the past year.
He added that the hub had also supported air cargo flights carrying medical supplies to Gaza, underlining its role as a key link in the region's health aid supply chain. The UAE delegation told the committee that drawing on international partnerships and expertise had allowed the country to expand preventive health services and strengthen other nations' ability to protect children and make progress toward eliminating targeted diseases.
Dr Al Rand said the partnerships had helped the UAE broaden its preventive programmes and build up regional capacity on child protection and disease elimination goals.
The UAE delegation also stressed the importance of protecting health facilities and health workers in crisis-hit areas, and highlighted the country's own record, including the region's highest Universal Health Coverage service index and the rollout of a National Health Workforce Strategy covering 2026 to 2030.
The figures presented in Cairo point to Dubai's growing role beyond its traditional identity as a trade and tourism hub: the city has become one of the main nodes in the WHO's regional supply chain for humanitarian and medical aid across the Eastern Mediterranean.