UAE lights up landmarks with tricolour to support India's Covid battle

Prominent iconic buildings, including the Burj Khalifa, in the UAE were lit up with the tricolour to show solidarity with India as it grapples with a growing COVID-19 crisis.

India's total tally of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 1,73,13,163 while active cases have crossed the 28-lakh mark. Thedeath toll increased to1,95,123 witha record2,812 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) headquarters and the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai were lit up with the colours of the Indian flag in solidarity with India as it responds to a second COVID-19 wave, the official WAM news agency reported.

"As #India battles the gruesome war against #COVID19 , its friend #UAE sends its best wishes. Glowing star @BurjKhalifa in #Dubai lits up in Flag of India to showcase its support," Indian Embassy in the UAE tweeted on Sunday.

The embassy also tweeted a video of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, displaying the Indian flag and #staystrongIndia.

India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to the UAE, tweeted, "India appreciates the UAE's strong support to its close friend in difficult times @MoFAICUAE @UAEembassyIndia."

The ADNOC on the facade of its headquarters displayed the message "Stay strong, India" to highlight its support for one of the UAE's closest friends and most important trading partners, the report said.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has affirmed his confidence in India's ability to overcome the challenge of the resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the Gulf News reported.

He reiterated the UAE's full support for and solidarity with India. This came in a phone call made by Sheikh Abdullah on Sunday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Sheikh Abdullah said the leadership, government and people of the UAE are in full solidarity with India. Sheikh Abdullah expressed the UAE's keenness to dedicate all resources in support of the efforts currently undertaken by the government of India, the report added.

He also reaffirmed the longstanding relations between the UAE and India and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two friendly countries. He also stressed that global action is fundamental in overcoming the fallout of the pandemic.

Cooperation between the two nations over the COVID-19 pandemic took various forms and manifested itself in facilitating repatriation flights during the onset of the health crisis; knowledge transfer; provision of medical aid and supplies; exchange of expertise; and application of advanced screening techniques for detection of active virus infections, the WAM reported.

The UAE and India boast longstanding strategic relations that started in 1972 with the initiation of diplomatic relations between the two nations that grew into fruitful cooperation based on mutual trust and common interest across all fronts. These privileged relations fructified into the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the two countries in 2017, it said.