Mohammed orders Gaza air bridge

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, received a group of Emirati writers, men of letters, and cultural figures at his Zabeel Palace.

In the presence of  Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai,  the audience congratulated Sheikh Mohammed on the advent of the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, praying Allah to return the month of mercy and charity with goodness, good health and longevity for UAE leadership and dignity, prosperity and national cohesion for UAE people.

Sheikh Mohammed engaged with his guests in a cordial talk about a host of local cultural and heritage issues and ways of instilling and strengthening national identity among members of the local community through diverse cultural events and activities like lectures and poetical and literary dialogues, art exhibitions that showcase traditional handicrafts, foods and rich civilisation inside the UAE and beyond.

The Vice-President referred to the launch of a group of initiatives in the genres of poem, story, plastic arts, and purebred Arabian horse and camel sports, calling on the writers and intellectuals and other stakeholders - be corporations and individuals - to take the initiative and attract both Emirati young men and women for active engagement in cultural activities and open the door before them to get knowledge about their forefathers' legacy.

Sheikh Mohammed said the recent launch of the UAE Space Agency poses a new challenge to the UAE people and national cadres who will establish the first space programme of its kind in the region which will enable the UAE and sisterly countries benefit from the scientific advancement that keeps pace with the progress of our State in different fields.

He emphasised that the national leadership gives proper attention to education and science which also take top priority of national development programmes and agenda to deliver national goals to our people and next generations.

The audience extended profound thanks and gratitude to the UAE wise leadership for their care and support for and encouragement of the cultural movement, particularly activities that deal with revival of the rich local heritage.

Sheikh Mohammed hosted an iftar banquet in honour of his guests, attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health, and a number of local officials.

Air bridge to Gaza

On the orders of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, a cargo plane, Boeing 747, which was dispatched to Gaza carrying 114 metric tons of aid, landed at Marka International Airport in Amman early on Monday.

The gesture is in solidarity with the people of Gaza who live in the dire humanitarian conditions amid aggressions of the Israeli forces.

Following the directives of Sheikh Mohammed the Aid agencies have mobilised relief supplies from the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai to send them to thousands of displaced families in Gaza.

The relief supplies have been put under the directive of the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to distribute them to thousands of the displaced families in Gaza.

The organisations at the IHC have coordinated with Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) to get the relief supplies across to over 100, 000 displaced people there.

The JHCO has been playing greater role in getting the relief supplies to Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the air bridge will continue to get sufficient relief supplies to Gaza, where they will be distributed to beneficiaries there by UNRWA.

UNRWA Commissioner General, Pierre Krahenbuhl, praised Sheikh Mohammed for support found by the UNRWA in Dubai and the UAE in general, especially during this critical time.

"We are pleased with this immediate response from Dubai and IHC employees. The Dubai airlift demonstrates  effectiveness of a concerted humanitarian work."

The IHC in record 24 hours has coordinated participation of the organisations, including The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN World Food Programme (WFP)/UN Humanitarian Response Depot), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Emirates Red Crescent in this humanitarian work.
 

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