The UAE has delivered an impassioned rallying cry to the nation to stand together in solidarity and trust in its efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus. In a video message released by government, Emiratis and expats alike are hailed for their response to the challenges being posed by the pandemic. Residents are told that the Emirates will emerge from the public health crisis stronger than before. Members of the public are thanked for supporting the government's strict stay-home measures aimed at slowing the spread of the disease and easing the strain on medical services. In a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office alongside the video, members of the public are urged to throw their support behind the nation. "We stand here in solidarity in the country we call home. In the leadership we unequivocally trust. In the nation that has given us new beginnings. This is the country where we have built our dreams. Our hopes. Our life. This is the place we belong. This is where we feel safe," the statement says. "At a time when the world is facing the biggest challenge in many generations, the UAE has been strong and authoritative in its bid to protect all its citizens. UAE residents have followed each new directive in recent weeks for one principal reason – trust. It’s the same trust that has helped the country grow into a global force. "It’s the same trust that has put UAE on the world map. It’s the same trust that instils pride in all of us to be part of this great nation." Across the country, schools and universities have emptied classrooms and turned to digital learning, once bustling malls have temporarily shut and the majority of flights in and out of the country have been grounded. A nationwide sterilisation campaign has been launched to clean up roads, streets and the public transport fleet. Drive-through Covid-19 testing centres have also been rolled out in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In Dubai, residents now require a permit to leave their homes for essential journeys such as hospital visits and to pick up groceries. The uplifting video asks 10 million people to place their trust in the country – whether it is their homeland or adopted home – and assures them they will be supported in the "darkest" of times. Viewers are told the UAE embraces all of its residents – wherever they come from – as a montage is shown of healthcare workers, patients in hospital and UAE leaders Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Sheikh Mohamed is shown telling of how he was moved to tears by videos of residents singing the UAE national anthem to hail the frontline heroes for their fight against Covid-19. The 90-second video calls on the public to be part of the "UAE family" and join together to overcome the threat of coronavirus.
