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Leading companies in Dubai have formed an alliance to move 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines around the world this year.
Airline Emirates, port operator DP World and Dubai Airports are collaborating until accelerate the distribution of vaccinations through Dubai, the Gulf trade and tourism hub that now aims to become a vaccine center as well.
The move “will mainly target emerging markets, where the pandemic has hit the population hard, and pose a challenge to transportation and logistics of pharmaceuticals,” the government’s media office said.
International Humanitarian City, an emergency relief center in Dubai, has also joined the alliance.
Abu Dhabi made a similar contact in November when it formed a consortium combining its air freight facility, port and healthcare purchasing division with the Swiss container designer SkyCell AG to facilitate distribution of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide.
The United Arab Emirates, which includes both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, plans to start production of the vaccine developed by Sinopharm from China this year. The oil-rich country has agreed Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s shot, and Russia’s Sputnik V, and has since rolled out an ambitious vaccination campaign. It has so far vaccinated a quarter of its 10 million inhabitants, third after Israel and the Seychelles.
Delivery shortages and logistical problems are delaying vaccination around the world. Dubai delayed its first dose of Pfizer vaccine, and the European Union unveiled a plan to restrict exports.
(Updates with Abu Dhabi program in fifth paragraph, global shortages in seventh)