Despite the suspension of commercial flights in Kuwait as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the UAE Embassy in Kuwait, with close follow up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MoFAIC, the youngest Emirati child stranded abroad has returned to the UAE. Two-month-old Zeina Al Amiri, the child of Dr. Abdullah Al Amiri, was born in Kuwait this past April. Zeina's mother and older brother Zayed were based in Kuwait since July 2019, as Dr. Al Amiri was completing the Cleveland Clinic Service Excellence Training Program in the United States. However, with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Al Amiri returned to the UAE in March 2020 joining the ranks of frontline healthcare workers to combat the spread of the virus. "After ten months apart, and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the UAE Embassy in Kuwait, an emergency passport for my child Zeina was issued, and my family returned safely to the homeland," Dr. Al Amiri recalled. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that it continues its efforts to repatriate Emirati citizens currently stranded abroad. In a statement, MoFAIC noted that coordination efforts with UAE embassies and missions, as well as relevant authorities are under way to ensure the safe return of Emiratis. Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, MoFAIC under-secretary, affirmed the ministry's keenness and follow-up of its leadership on the full progress of work to ensure the safety of UAE citizens, and to facilitate the necessary procedures to their repatriation. He noted that MoFAIC continues to coordinate with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, NCEMA, and all concerned parties inside and outside the country to monitor developments and to repatriate citizens and their companions safely. The MoFAIC issues emergency passports through UAE missions abroad to newborn children or in the event of loss, theft, damage or expiry of the UAE passport, enabling Emiratis to return to their homeland. An application can be submitted online via the MOFAIC website or the UAEMOFAIC smart app. — WAM
