Emirates Global Aluminium, Bee’ah, DP World and Masdar today announced the launch of a Vital Industry COVID-19 Task Force, a coalition of industrial companies operating across the United Arab Emirates, convened to share best practices on the management of the global pandemic.
The Task Force brings together health and safety executives responsible for managing the response to COVID-19 at companies that are part of vital UAE industries and, therefore, have continued core operations throughout the pandemic. Together, executives participating in the Task Force discuss efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, protect industrial workers and support communities across the nation.
Founding members of the Task Force are EGA Executive Vice President of EHSSQ and Business Transformation, Salman Abdulla; Bee’ah CEO of Consultancy, Research and Innovation (CRI), Mohamed Al Hosani; DP World Group HSE Vice President, Jason Pratt; and Masdar Senior Manager of Investment Lifecycle Management, Sahil Thapa.
The founding members launched the Task Force via video conference with all participating executives and will continue virtual meetings as the impact of COVID-19 evolves.
EGA founding member, Salman Abdulla, said: “At EGA, we are doing everything possible to protect our people and maintain the resilience of our business so that we can continue to provide the metal world needs in this time of global crisis. Companies in vital industries share many common challenges tackling COVID-19, making it valuable to share what we have learnt so that we can continue to improve our response.”
Bee’ah founding member, Mohamed Al Hosani, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone from governments, private sector and individuals, due to the nature of our interconnected environment. It is the responsibility of various companies to band together and exchange best practices on how they have responded to the current COVID-19 crisis, and work collectively to find solutions. At Bee’ah, we have reacted quickly to safeguard our workforce, ensured the continuity of our essential operations for communities, introduced value-added services for other businesses to protect their workers, and have been a key partner for the UAE National Disinfection Programme – and we are now proud to be a part of the Vital Industry COVID-19 Task Force.”
DP World founding member, Jason Pratt, said: “With operations on every continent, DP World is working resolutely to keep trade flowing so countries can get the vital goods they need, including food and medicines. We can do so only by making our first priority the health and safety of the people who are doing this critical work, our employees. We believe it is important for companies in the UAE to share the lessons learned during this crisis.”
Masdar founding member, Sahil Thapa, said: “Here in the UAE, our government has stood steadfast against the COVID-19 pandemic, and Masdar stands with them. We are fully behind the measures the UAE government is taking to help contain the spread of the virus, and eager to support collaborative initiatives such as the Vital Industry Task Force to share knowledge and best practice with our peers.”