Adnoc’s gesture shows UAE leads by example

The announcement by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) to provide employment to the next of kin to the victims of the Houthi attack on January 17 at a fuel depot in Mussafah and the assurance to fund the education of their children is a good example of how the UAE leads by example in humanitarian matters.

Not only has the country made no bones about how it intends to deal with the attacks at a geopolitical level on the world stage and has already put in motion a determined plan of action, it also doesn’t overlook individual concerns. In the case of the two Indian drivers who were killed, both hailing from Punjab, Adnoc moved quickly to ensure that the grief-stricken families don’t have to suffer more trials and tribulations: in cases like these, the biggest concern is what future awaits the rest of the family when the bread-winner passes away under such tragic — and unforeseen — circumstances.

Many would have thought that “accelerating the distribution of service benefits and salary compensation to the families of the victims”, along with paying for repatriation costs of the families, would have been a fair deal. But the UAE has made it clear that it doesn’t want the victims’ families to return; they would want them to stay on here, in a land they now call home.

In certain sections of the global media, there has been a concerted — an almost orchestrated — effort to downplay the country’s generosity when it comes to dealing effectively with expat concerns. For instance, it’s “fashionable” to discuss lives of blue-collar workers who, in fact, have much better living conditions here than they do back home. The Adnoc case proves — yet again — how wrong these assumptions are.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the Managing Director and Group CEO of Adnoc — and also Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology in the UAE — visited those who were injured in the attack to wish them a speedy recovery. In a photo that has gone viral on social media, Al Jaber is seen standing in one of the recovering patient’s room, mask in place, keenly invested in what the other party is telling him, hearing him out, giving him all the time in the world.

Tellingly, a tweet of his that Adnoc put out says that “the UAE would continue to offer its full support” to those impacted in the dastardly attack. This is no attempt to steal the thunder by a single entity; this is proof that the country collectively stands as one when it comes to taking care of its residents.