WORLD VIEW | SERIES world view | SERIES The COVID-19 response in the Credit: United Arab United Arab Emirates: challenges and Emirates University, UAE opportunities Like other countries in the region, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was deeply afected by the pandemic. However, its foresight and proactive policies helped to create opportunities out of the challenges and spurred the development of trilateral collaborations involving government, academia and industry. he UAE is a young country located 4 Humanity phase 3 trial with the The investment in national COVID- in the Arabian Peninsula and was inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in July 19 research collaborations has resulted in Tthe first in the region to report 2020 and the Sputnik V-UAE phase 3 trial several important studies. To highlight a SARS-CoV-2 cases. The UAE government’s in January 2021. This challenge provided a few, the first and largest population-based response to the pandemic was swift golden opportunity for scientists to conduct cross-sectional seroprevalence study in the and decisive. Effective public health high-quality research that spanned many UAE was conducted in July 2020 with more measures were immediately implemented, fields, including epidemiology, diagnostics than 13,000 participants. The study revealed beginning with activating an emergency and therapeutics. a low seroprevalence among residents of response system, issuing guidance for In March 2020, the three main health households in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and risk communication with the public, authorities in the UAE (the federal Ministry substantially higher seroprevalence in labor building field hospitals and providing rapid of Health and Prevention; the Department camps, reflecting the high efficiency with drive-through PCR testing. The number of Health - Abu Dhabi, with its newly which SARS-CoV-2 spreads in crowded of PCR tests conducted reached more than established Public Health Center (ADPHC); work settings. Furthermore, genomic double the population in January 2021. The and Dubai Health Authority) launched a surveillance and phylogenetic analysis UAE has also been known for its efforts to national COVID-19 research committee, studies revealed multiple introductions support countries in need of major medical aiming to enable research collaboration of SARS-CoV-2 into UAE, which were aid on a global level. For example, the between health care professionals, closely monitored. Another study utilized Abu Dhabi Medical Devices Company, in academics and pharmaceutical companies the detection and quantification of collaboration with international entities, is and to expedite COVID-19 research and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and providing more than 500 million syringes translate it into policy and a public health treated effluents to monitor and track the and needles for the COVID-19 vaccines, response. This newly formed committee extent of viral spread at the community which is equivalent to 25% of UNICEF and has 26 members and 3 subcommittees in level. The findings of the double-blind COVAX’s global need for 2021. Additionally, the fields of epidemiology, diagnostics phase 3 multicenter clinical trial assessing the Abu Dhabi HOPE Consortium initiative and therapeutics. A national Institutional the efficacy of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 brings together leading public–private Review Board (IRB) for COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated its safety profile and industry partners, including the Department research was also established, which was its ability to reduce the risk of symptomatic of Health - Abu Dhabi, Etihad Cargo, Abu instrumental in expediting an efficient COVID-19. Additionally, the results of the Dhabi Ports Group, Rafed and SkyCell to IRB approval process, particularly for Sputnik V-UAE phase 3 trial are expected facilitate the delivery of 18 billion vaccine multicenter research projects. A registry to be published soon. The pandemic has doses around the world by the end of was also developed to provide the IRB status provided a critical impetus for clinical 2021. The HOPE Consortium has recently of all COVID-19 research at the national research, and the benefits of this research developed the largest “freezer farm” in level, aiming to consolidate the efforts, are beginning to be realized. The investment the UAE, with a static capacity to hold avoid unnecessary duplications and identify in these high-impact projects should now 11.4 million vaccine doses at an ultra-cold priority research gaps that are important be harnessed to strengthen translational and temperature of –80°C. to guide policies and the response efforts. clinical research initiatives at the national From an academic viewpoint, the While the registry was presenting the IRB and global levels. ❐ pandemic focused the attention of decision status of only local research activities, the makers on the importance of the immune ADPHC scientific report was capturing Ahmed R. Alsuwaidi 1 ✉ , system in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. published and unpublished UAE research Farida I. Al Hosani2, Gehad ElGhazali3,4 and This pushed the interest in vaccine-related activity in addition to other international Basel K. al-Ramadi 4,5 ✉ clinical research to new heights. The UAE breakthrough articles on a daily basis 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and was one of the first countries to support and from February 2020 until November 2020. Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, actively participate in clinical trials aimed at The report developed into a valuable Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. 2Abu Dhabi Public evaluating the efficacy and immunogenicity resource that presented research activities Health Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. of various vaccines. Remarkably, clinical and breakthroughs in COVID-19-related 3Sheikh Khalifa Medical City-Union 71, Abu trials were launched in the UAE for the first research to the UAE scientific and Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 4Department of time in its history, including the medical communities. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of 1066 NATURE IMMUNOLOGY | VOL 22 | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 1066–1067 | www.nature.com/natureimmunology SERIES | WORLD VIEW SERIES | world view Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates Published online: 27 July 2021 COVID-19 research committee, and N. Al Kaabi (Sheikh University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. 5Zayed https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-021-01000-5 Khalifa Medical City) and A. Al Hammadi (Tawam Hospital and College of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates Acknowledgements University) for leading the vaccine clinical trials in the UAE. University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of ✉ e-mail: [email protected]; S. Al Memari and colleagues at Abu Dhabi Public Health Competing interests [email protected] Center for their leadership role in facilitating the national The authors declare no competing interests. NATURE IMMUNOLOGY | VOL 22 | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 1066–1067 | www.nature.com/natureimmunology 1067.