Dubai receives first AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shipment
February 2, 2021, 11:00 am

Dubai receives first AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shipment

A health worker giving a dose of the coronavirus vaccine to a nurse in Dubai. (File photo: AFP)

The Dubai Health Authority will begin offering citizens and residents the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, the Dubai Media Office announced.

The United Arab Emirates received its first shipment of the vaccine from India on Tuesday, according to the emirate’s media office.

“@DHA_Dubaiadds the AstraZeneca vaccine to its authorised list of Covid-19 vaccines provided at DHA medical facilities. The first shipment of the vaccine has been received from India, thanks to efforts by @MoFAICUAE, in cooperation with the Indian Foreign Ministry,” the Dubai Media Office said on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/1356548901898174465

The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines have been available in the country for free for citizens and residents.

More than 3 million people have already taken a vaccine against the coronavirus, health officials said last month.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) this week began certain groups of people to receive a free dose of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine at some of its facilities.

Emirati citizens and residents above the age of 60 will be allowed to the take the Sinopharm dose at Nad al-Hamr Health Centre, al-Twar Health Centre or the al-Mankhool Health Centre, according to the DHA.

The move comes as part of the DHA’s efforts to provide all members of the public with the opportunity to choose between the different vaccines available in the country, the authority said in a statement.

Officials say the country will continue to intensify its vaccination campaign until most of its citizens and residents are vaccinated.

source: Tamara Abueish

Image source: AFP

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”