A Nation Prepared: The UAE Launches Institutional Emergency Response Framework

On Flag Day, the Emirates National Medical Preparedness and Response Programme unveils Muassasati, an ambitious initiative to embed disaster resilience across government and private institutions throughout the Emirates.

There is a particular grace in marking national occasions by investing in the future. On the eve of UAE Flag Day, the Emirates National Medical Preparedness and Response Programme, known as Jaheziya, has announced Muassasati, a comprehensive institutional emergency and disaster preparedness programme that extends the nation’s six years of medical emergency expertise into the broader institutional landscape.

The initiative represents a deliberate shift from sectoral readiness toward integrated, cross-institutional resilience. It aims to establish a unified framework for response to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards, grounded in international standards yet tailored to the UAE context. The programme draws on collaboration with the European Centre for Disaster Medicine, American emergency medical services organizations, and leading specialized training centers across Europe and the United Kingdom, creating a network of expertise that reflects the nation’s commitment to knowledge exchange and global best practice.

Dr. Adel Al Shamry Al Ajami, Chief Executive Officer of the Zayed Giving Initiative and President of Jaheziya, described the announcement as embodying values of loyalty, gratitude and service to the nation. The pilot phase has already trained and qualified 1,000 participants from government and private institutions across the Emirates, providing the foundation for a five-year expansion. The programme envisions training 10,000 employees and specialists, developing 500 institutional leaders and 200 trainers, and conducting 100 emergency exercises across 100 institutions.

The scope reflects a sophisticated understanding of resilience as an institutional capacity. Rather than treating emergency response as a specialized function, Muassasati embeds preparedness into the daily operational culture of organizations across all sectors. This aligns with the partnership between Jaheziya and Europe’s disaster medicine centre to strengthen emergency response capabilities across the Middle East and North Africa, extending the nation’s influence as a regional leader in preparedness and coordination.

The programme projects an estimated cumulative economic and institutional impact of AED 1 billion over ten years, achieved through enhanced prevention, reduced potential losses, improved response efficiency and strengthened business continuity. The expansion phase begins in 2027, initially involving ten institutions from different sectors, with progressive rollout across all seven emirates through 2031.

Professor Roberto Mugavero, President of the European Centre for Disaster Medicine, underscored that strengthening institutional preparedness is fundamental to building safer, more resilient societies. The Muassasati initiative demonstrates how accumulated expertise in medical training and disaster management can be leveraged and applied across diverse institutional sectors.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

For Abu Dhabi and the wider Emirates, Muassasati represents a decisive investment in collective safety and institutional strength. By embedding emergency preparedness into the operational culture of government agencies, private enterprises and public benefit organizations, the programme enhances the nation’s capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to unforeseen crises. This supports the broader national security agenda while protecting economic continuity and public welfare.

The initiative also reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a center of excellence in emergency preparedness within the region. As Abu Dhabi hosted the IAEA School of Radiation Emergency Management, gathering experts from 25 national entities to strengthen coordinated nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness, the emirate demonstrates sustained commitment to building institutional capacity through international collaboration and knowledge transfer, positioning itself as a model for regional and global standards in disaster medicine and emergency response.

Source: WAM