Uae

A vial of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine. Credit: Reuters file photo.

The UAE’s Group 42 and China’s CNBG “have launched a joint project… to initiate the first Covid-19 vaccine production line in the UAE”, said official Emirati news agency Wam.

It did not specify when commercial production will begin.

The UAE’s foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said the project adds “value to the international efforts being made in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, which has been taking a toll on everyday lives across the world.”

The UAE, made up of seven emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and freewheeling Dubai, began mass inoculations in December after approving vaccines made by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

Since then, the UAE — which has a population of nearly 10 million people — has also approved Astrazeneca, with one of the best vaccination rates per capita in the world, second to Israel.

The UAE has so far recorded more than 388,000 cases and 1,481 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

Two vaccines have undergone third-phase trials in the UAE: Sinopharm and Russia’s Sputnik-V, named after the Soviet-era satellite.

The national football team will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before flying to the UAE.

The Korean head coach of the Vietnamese national football squad, Park Hang Seo, has made a list of 47 players who will be summoned to prepare for the three remaining matches in Group G of the second qualifying round of 2022 World Cup, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On April 5, the first 22 members of the national football team will be vaccinated, including the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Quoc Tuan; Chairman of the National Coach Council Nguyen Sy Hien and members of the coaching board – coach Park Hang Seo, his assistants Lee Young-jin, Park Sung-gyun, Le Huy Khoa, Luu Danh Minh, Vu Hong Viet, Kim Han-yoon, Kim Hyun-tae, Nguyen The Anh, Ahn Su-young, Cho Sung-wan, Dinh Kim Tuan and doctors Choi Yu-young, Tran Anh Tuan, Tuan Nguyen Giap, and Tran Huy Tho.

As the matches of of the 7th round of V-League 1 are scheduled on April 2, 3 and 4, players will be vaccinated on April 8, 9 and 13.

Upon arriving in the UAE, Vietnamese players will be tested for Covid-19 at the airport. The test will be conducted every two to three days in the UAE until the last game ends on June 15.

The list has familiar names to Vietnamese football fans such as Quang Hai, Van Quyet, Duc Huy, Trong Hoang, Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong, Tuan Anh, Van Toan, Tien Linh.

Defenders Duy Manh and Dinh Trong, after a long period of injury treatment, will join the national team this time. Veteran player Anh Duc will be also called by Mr. Park Hang Seo.

The team, however, will not include important midfielder Do Hung Dung who has had serious injuries.

Doan Van Hau and Nguyen Hai Long of Quang Ninh Coal FC, although being treated for injuries, are still on this list.

The list also has the names of new players such as Nguyen Van Vi, Dao Van Nam, Ly Cong Hoan Anh, and Le Van Xuan.

According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s plan, the remaining matches of Group G will be held in the UAE. The Vietnamese team will face Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia on June 11, and the UAE on June 15.

After round 13 of V-League 1, the national football team will group up in Hanoi on May 10. The team will have three weeks of practice before making the final list and flying to the UAE on May 31.

Nghia Hung

The UAE is one of Vietnam’s 10 largest export partners in the world and is the largest export partner of Vietnam in the Middle East and Africa, which has seen a surge in demand for imported goods in the time of COVID-19. Experts believe that there are plenty of opportunities for Vietnam to gain a stronger foothold in this market in the time ahead.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has enjoyed high trade surplus with the UAE for years, posting US$737 million worth of exports to UAE in January-February, up nearly 60% year-on-year while imports valuing US$72 million, up 44%.

Phones and accessories were Vietnam’s key export earner from the UAE, bringing home US$551 million, up about 108% from a year earlier and accounting for two thirds of the total exports to the Middle Eastern country.

A number of agricultural products also witnessed high growth. Specifically, exports of cashew nuts increased six-fold year-on-year to US$10.3 million, while shipments of fishery products, fruit and vegetables, and pepper grew 18%, 12%, and 17%, respectively.

Meanwhile, due to impacts of COVID-19, shipments of footwear and textile-garment declined 23% and 11%, respectively, to US$14 million and US$11 million.

Among imported goods from the UAE, plastic materials valued the highest, US$41.8 million, up 66% year-on-year. Vietnam also spent US$8.7 million on importing cattle feed and materials, up 9%.

Emirates is showcasing the UAE’s remarkable progress in its vaccination programme with a special flight that will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. — Photo Emirates

HCM CITY — Emirates will operate a special flight that will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard, marking the UAE’s remarkable progress in its vaccination programme.

On April 10, special flight EK2021 will depart Dubai International Airport at 12am local time, to cruise over various areas across the UAE and return to Dubai at 2.30pm local time.

The one-off flight EK2021 is a unique event that not only celebrates the success of the UAE’s vaccination programme to date, but also highlights Emirates’ progress in vaccinating its staff and in particular its pilots and cabin crew.

Passengers will have the opportunity to experience Emirates’ newest A380 aircraft which features the airline’s brand-new Premium Economy seats and refreshed cabin interiors across all cabin classes. Passengers travelling on EK2021 will be able to experience all of Dubai International Airport’s services and amenities on the ground before boarding.

Tickets for flight EK2021 will be available to UAE citizens and residents who have completed the two week period after their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Tickets can be purchased from the Emirates contact centre, Emirates sales offices in the UAE, as well as local travel agents.

Tickets are priced at AED1,000 (US$272) per person in Economy, and AED2,000 ($544) in Business Class. All fares collected for this special flight EK2021 will be donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline’s non-profit charity organisation which supports projects around the world aimed at improving quality of life for disadvantaged children.

As with any regular flight, customers for special flight EK2021 will be expected to arrive at check-in with their flight ticket, from 3 hours before flight departure. They will be required to bring their UAE ID or passports, as well as vaccination certificate. All customers travelling on EK2021 will be provided pre-departure rapid COVID-19 testing, free of charge. In accordance with precautionary measures, customers must observe physical distancing protocols and wear their masks throughout the journey.

The UAE is one of world’s leading countries in administered vaccinations for citizens and residents, and has made four COVID-19 vaccines available for free to everyone. To date, over 8 million vaccine shots have been administered in the UAE, protecting over half of the UAE’s population. To date, over 35,000 Emirates employees have received their COVID-19 vaccine from one of the company’s vaccination centres, with over 85 per cent of the airline’s pilots and cabin crew already receiving two doses of the vaccine.

In Việt Nam, Emirates currently operates three flights from Hà Nội and four flights from HCM City to Dubai and onward to over 95 destinations around the globe. — VNS