While flight suspensions and vaccine-linked travel curbs continue to impact the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, most of the latter have ramped up their vaccination campaigns. Nearby countries like India are in crisis and the Arab states would like to be risk-free zones.

The vaccine has been made virtually compulsory and, in some states, most leisure activities have been limited to those who have gotten the shot. Upgrading public health security, Abu Dhabi is even mulling measures to restrict the movement of some unvaccinated workers.

Saif al-Dhaheri, spokesperson for the National Emergency Crisis & Disaster Management Authority, announced April 21, “The vaccine is our best means to recover and return to a normal life.” Having administered at least 3.8 million doses, Abu Dhabi has achieved a vaccination rate of 100.1 doses per 100 residents. The country is using multiple vaccines, each of which require two doses.

However, the vaccines' efficacy has become an emerging concern. Despite the mass inoculation, the UAE suddenly saw a spike with 1,903 new cases in one day in mid-April and there have been several fatalities recently. Due to easy availability and Beijing’s “vaccine diplomacy,” most of the GCC states had opted for Chinese vaccines last year. The UAE also started producing and distributing the Chinese brand Sinopharm’s BBIBP-CorV vaccine.