UAE, PH exchange diplomatic tokens
ON Sept. 3, 2020, a representative of Emirates received a token of appreciation from the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai for repatriating Filipino citizens.
Hjayceelyn Quintana, ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the UAE, presented the token to Adnan Kazim, the chief commercial officer of Emirates, in order to thank the airline for its efforts in helping Filipino citizens return home.
More than 27,000 Filipinos, residing in the UAE as well as other countries and stranded across the globe due to travel restrictions and border closures due to the pandemic, have been safely returned to the Philippines on Emirates flights between Dubai and cities around the world.
In the gift exchange, Kazim also presented an Emirates A380 aircraft model as a symbol of its continuous support to the Filipino community and gratitude to its people over the years. The UAE is home to more than 800,000 Filipinos working and investing in the country.
Recently, Emirates operated a oneoff A380 flight to Clark to mark its 30 years of service to the Philippines. 2014 marked the maiden arrival of the Emirates A380 in the Philippines when it made a one-off trip to Manila then.
In the three-month period from April to June, Emirates operated over 200 repatriation flights to nearly 40 cities in its network, including flights on special routes organized in conjunction with diplomatic missions to fly foreign citizens home.