Expert Speak Health Express
Published on Dec 29, 2020

This “niche diplomacy” is expected to be one of the key guiding principles of Emirati foreign policy in 2021.

Vaccine Diplomacy: In 2021, the UAE will become the new vaccine hub of the Middle East

This article is part of the series — The Future of the Pandemic in 2021 and Beyond.


During the coronavirus pandemic, the UAE contributed to the development of a new vaccine by actively participating in Chinese and Russian vaccines trials. In doing so, the country sought to satisfy the needs of its citizens and expatriates and was able to play a leading role in providing the vaccine to other countries in the region.

The UAE was one of the first countries to collaborate with China and Russia in their vaccine trials, dedicating both time and resources to promote the development, production, and distribution of the vaccines worldwide. This policy’s driving force is to contribute to the global recovery efforts that are likely to lead world interactions in 2021. The new global recovery landscape will be shaped by the countries that can deploy and distribute vaccines, thereby, signaling the beginning of the end of the current pandemic.

The UAE was one of the first countries to collaborate with China and Russia in their vaccine trials, dedicating both time and resources to promote the development, production, and distribution of the vaccines worldwide.

The primary determinant of vaccine politics is complicated and intertwined. To guarantee the effective and safe distribution of new vaccines, governments must build international trust and contain skeptical narratives. They also must ensure that the vaccines are distributed fairly and efficiently to mitigate the current inequality and gaps between the rich and the poor.

In this regard, the UAE is determined to maintain its medical diplomacy that has proven to be effective during the pandemic, which provided medical equipment to both developing and developed countries during the crisis. Throughout the recovery process, the UAE can expand vaccine access to other countries by dedicating resources to vaccine production and distribution, not only in the Middle East, but to many African and Asian countries as well.

The UAE has been part of the Phase III trials for the vaccine made by the Chinese company Sinopharm since July 2020. It was also the first country to register it in December 2020, guaranteeing its safety and efficacy with a vote of confidence from the UAE government. Despite Western skepticism of the Chinese and Russian vaccines, they remain the most accessible option for many countries around the world, especially as many have already begun stockpiling the vaccines for their own citizens.

Despite Western skepticism of the Chinese and Russian vaccines, they remain the most accessible option for many countries around the world.

Shortly after approving Sinopharm’s vaccine in the UAE, an Emirati flight transported the first shipment of the Chinese vaccine to Egypt. This sent a clear message about the strong alliance between Abu Dhabi and Cairo, as well as demonstrated how vaccines will play a crucial role in regional post-pandemic foreign policy.

In another clear display of Emirati vaccine diplomacy, the Dubai-based Emirates Airlines announced on 15 November 2020 that they were working with many pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, to manage the logistical challenges of vaccine distribution. One such challenge includes providing the equipment to keep the vaccines at extremely low temperatures to preserve their optimal efficacy.

In 2021, the UAE will become a regional hub in global vaccine production and distribution chain by strengthening its collaborations with pharmaceutical giants like Sinopharm, Moderna, and Pfizer. Bridging the gap between the West, China, and Russia will represent another strong point for the UAE’s role in international vaccine politics. The UAE’s close ties with rising powers in Asia, such as India, China and Japan, will also foster cooperation in vaccine production and distribution.

In 2021, the UAE will become a regional hub in global vaccine production and distribution chain by strengthening its collaborations with pharmaceutical giants like Sinopharm, Moderna, and Pfizer.

As part of its role as a regional vaccine hub, the UAE will be responsible for providing vaccines and medical aid to developing countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia at a time when “every nation for itself” politics and “self-help” doctrines dominate the foreign policies of many great global powers.

This “niche diplomacy” is expected to be one of the key guiding principles of Emirati foreign policy in 2021. Vaccines produced, funded, and distributed by the UAE could help close the vaccine gap between rich and poor countries around the world. Soft power is also expected to be essential to the effectiveness of UAE foreign policy in the coming year. According to Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark, the company is seeking to “to establish best practices involving third-party supply chain and logistical exercises to ensure that we get them (vaccines) to the markets that need them so badly, and basically, that's the whole planet.”

The Emirati model in the post-pandemic era will likely be at odds with current dynamics in the Middle East. Unfortunately, conflict and power politics remain the predominant modes of interaction in the region. Efforts to confront the spread of the pandemic could easily go neglected amidst the region’s instability and intermittent clashes. By asserting the significance of human health and security, the UAE is setting a new example for regional interactions, emphasising future collaboration, and casting aside traditional and provocative security politics. As such, this focus on vaccine distribution and global recovery may just kick off a new era of peace and development in this war-torn region.

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