Masdar joins vital-industry leaders to launch COVID-19 Task Force

Masdar, Emirates Global Aluminium, Bee’ah, and DP World today announced the launch of the Vital Industry COVID-19 Task Force, a coalition of industrial companies operating across the United Arab Emirates, to share best practices on the management of the global pandemic.

The Task Force brings together senior health and safety executives managing the COVID-19 response at companies that have continued core operations throughout the pandemic to support vital industries in the UAE. Executives participating in the Task Force will meet virtually to discuss efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, protect industrial workers and support communities across the nation. 

The founding members of the Task Force include Masdar Senior Manager of Investment Lifecycle Management, Sahil Thapa; EGA Executive Vice President of EHSSQ and Business Transformation, Salman Abdulla; Bee’ah CEO of Consultancy, Research and Innovation (CRI), Mohamed Al Hosani; and DP World Group HSE Vice President, Jason Pratt. 

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.”

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.”