A man hold a UAE flag aloft in Dubai. (Credit: Karim Sahib/AFP)
BEIRUT — The Directorate of Protocol at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers responded Thursday evening to social media reports on the placement of the Kuwait flag instead of the Emirati flag during the launch the previous day of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Hospital Center, which was donated by the United Arab Emirates.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement, the directorate wrote: “The flags of the brotherly UAE were displayed inside and outside the center and on the billboard as shown by the distributed images, but an error occurred as a result of confusion among one of the employees,” and the flag on the stage for the launch was replaced by the Kuwaiti one, which has the same colors.
• Prime Minister Najib Mikati inaugurated the hospital center Wednesday with a speech while he stood next to the Lebanese and Kuwaiti flags instead of the Emirati one, sparking a wave of criticism on social media.
• One Emirati, Ali al-Amiri tweeted, “These small details indicate the extent of negligence, corruption, nepotism and authorizing unqualified individuals in state details. God have mercy on Lebanon.”
• The hospital, which was donated by the UAE, specializes in treating COVID-19 patients and hosts around 80 beds. It is located at the Beirut waterfront.