UAE ranked most pandemic-resilient country in the world

The country’s mass testing initiative, vaccination drive, booster shot distribution programme, and critical care bed capacity were among the key factors considered.

“The UAE was the pioneer of the booster rollout. Countries such as New Zealand, Ukraine, Australia, Spain and Canada took 5 months longer to get it up and running,” said Maria Chaplia, research manager at the Consumer Choice Centre.

Last year’s index, which collected data up until March 31 2021, ranked the UAE as the second most prepared country. However, the updated 2022 index incorporates new data between the end of March and late November 2021, as well as accounts for each country’s booster programme.

“Compared to the initial results, the change in the ranking is largely due to the booster vaccine rollout delays. Israel, the most resilient country, according to the original Index, started giving out boosters 75 days later than the UAE,” said Chaplia.

“We also considered the relative change in testing, compared to the original index. Although Greece’s increase was highest, the UAE was among the top five countries to have increased their testing. Luxembourg and Sweden, for contrast, reduced their testing,” she added.

The UAE has one of the world’s highest rates of vaccination, and has administered booster doses to about 42 percent of its population of 10 million.

The country also has one of the highest per capita testing rates in the world, with just under half a million tests administered over the past day.

“Most countries have learned the importance of testing, but the booster vaccination rollout experienced significant delays. The index should be seen as a reminder that there are countries that do it better — such as the UAE, Cyprus, and Bahrain — and they should be further explored as success stories,” concluded Chaplia.