President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, received a phone call on Thursday from Bill Gates, a businessman, investor, philanthropist, co-founder of tech giant Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
During the call, Gates extended his congratulations to the Emirati leader on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, noting his wishes for the ongoing progress and prosperity of the nation and its people. Their conversation focused on enhancing humanitarian cooperation.
His Highness and Gates discussed strengthening their collaborative efforts to better tackle infectious diseases, highlighting the sizeable advances made in the area. They also emphasised the need to enhance efforts aimed at helping vulnerable communities.
COP28 Summit, UAE Consensus, Sustainability in focus
The call also noted the incredible outcomes of the COP28 Summit hosted by Dubai in November. The climate conference resulted in the landmark UAE Consensus, a milestone in promoting unified climate action and accelerating global efforts to mitigate climate change.
In fact, COP28 Dubai achieved notable success on its first day itself as the hundreds of participants agreed to operationalise the landmark Loss and Damage Fund to compensate vulnerable countries for consequences of climate change.
In Thursday’s call, His Highness and Gates highlighted the importance of modern technology and innovation in enhancing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, alongside shielding natural resources from harm and achieving sustainable development.
Gates notes UAE’s support for different communities
Their conversation also noted the significant efforts made by the UAE to address the chaotic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and facilitate the supply of relief and medical aid since the beginning of the brutal Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7.
Launched under the directives of the UAE President to alleviate the sufferings of Palestinians, the ‘Gallant Knight 3‘ humanitarian operation has already made substantial progress in enabling injured Gazans lead normal lives and supplying hundreds of tonnes of essential aid.
Gates lauded the Emirates’ efforts in supporting communities across the globe. He also commended His Highness for his significant contributions towards eradicating polio and his endeavours to strengthen global initiatives against the disease.
Their conversation not only highlights their ongoing partnership but also reaffirms their dedication to tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. Through collaboration, they seek to create a healthier and more sustainable future.
Understanding Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a prominent non-profit fighting poverty, inequity and disease on the planet. It has spent $53.8 billion since 2000 in an effort to dramatically improve the quality of life for billions of people in need.
The Foundation’s work depends on grantees and partners in over 130 countries who have a deep understanding of the issues, on-the-ground expertise and strong ties with the communities in need. Since its inception, it has funded thousands of projects, large and small.
The entity is focused on results – those that can be measured and those measured in methods beyond numbers. The number of children dying before their fifth birthday has fallen by half since 2000. Millions more kids are surviving and that is making the Foundation optimistic.