Kuwaiti writer and media professional Mohammed AlMulla said:

“At the onset of the pandemic, the messaging by government entities and officials was analysed to measure the effectiveness of their communication. Those who are able to speak intelligently and convincingly in front of an audience are perceived as more credible and capable, and this is no less true for governments. Governments everywhere not only have had to fight the virus, but also people’s mistrust of the media or official information. The UAE’s and GCC’s crisis preparedness ahead of time helped us tackle the issue, but so did putting out the right messaging and raising people’s awareness of their own collective role in fighting the pandemic. Crisis management is both a science and an art, and when used as a tool along with proper governance, it raises collective awareness by leaps and bounds. Even the restrictions placed during the pandemic are a way of shaping collective consciousness about public health benefits.”