Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, lit up on Wednesday in a display of support for Australia following the recent bush fires that have devastated the country.
The message read “#MatesHelpMates,” the hashtag used to show the outpouring of solidarity with Australia a longstanding partner of the UAE. The three-minute display on the 163-floor, 830-meter tall building called for donations to the UAE’s fundraising campaign for Australia in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent, which can be accessed from emiratesrc.ae.
Commenting on the campaign, Reem bint Ibrahim Al-Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, said: “The UAE community continues to identify ways to demonstrate that our country stands with Australia and seeks to support its people in any way possible. It is our sincere hope that the #MatesHelpMates campaign raises awareness of the situation in Australia and mobilises members of the public to donate generously.”
In addition to the Burj Khalifa display, organizers distributed stickers and pins bearing the #MatesHelpMates hashtag and depicting a koala above the UAE and Australian national flags.
Dozens of people have been killed and estimates put the number of animals killed by the fires at nearly 1 billion.
A moving video of support from Expo 2020 Dubai was also produced to publicize Australia’s plight and bolster support for ongoing assistance efforts. Similar projects backed by governmental entities and national airlines Emirates and Etihad have further contributed to the UAE’s efforts to encourage the public to donate to disaster relief campaigns.
Emirates News Agency reported that the gesture is in line with the UAE’s commitment to increasing global awareness of the threat posed by climate change, adding that in recent years, the UAE has made significant strides in addressing the challenges of energy and climate change under the framework of Vision 2021 and the strategic plans of each emirate.
