The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the government of the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to set up an ICRC office in Abu Dhabi, Emirates News agency WAM reported on Sunday.

Signed by ICRC president Peter Maurer and the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim al-Hashemy, the agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the UAE and the ICRC.

“The UAE plays an important role and is a key partner of the ICRC. The agreement to establish an ICRC office in the UAE will help strengthen our close cooperation, and we are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in this regard,” said Maurer.

“The ICRC is proud to have the UAE as part of our donor support group, and we are committed to continuing to strengthen our partnership in providing assistance to people affected by crises,” he added.

Al-Hashemy said that the ICRC’s new office will “contribute to achieving the desired goals in terms of relief work, reaching the needy, and using modern technologies in this field, in light of the great challenges currently facing relief work in many regions of the world.”