The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China on Sunday announced the official launch of a regional vaccination site in Dubai for Chinese nationals.
The site was jointly launched by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Chinese embassy in the UAE.
This follows an agreement reached in March between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Under China's "Spring Sprout" vaccine program, administered by the Dubai Health Authority, Chinese nationals over the age of 16 who hold a short-term visa without UAE residency will be provided in Dubai with two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, which has been listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization in May.
Chinese nationals temporarily visiting the UAE can log onto the official websites of the Chinese embassy in the UAE and the Chinese consulate general in Dubai for details.
China and the UAE have been cooperating closely on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, through sharing expertise, resources, and technologies.
A new factory in Abu Dhabi will start manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines from the Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm later this year, under a joint venture between Sinopharm and the local technology company Group 42.
