Conclusion
While the hub-and-spoke model is necessary to ensure expertise is available at all times during an outbreak, the main goal of WHO/EMRO is to ensure that in-country capacity is adequate to meet the needs of testing. The UAE hub continues to support this goal by providing training courses and facilities to support member states as they expand from COVID-19 into other pathogens of concern. This collaborative network has been one of the important success stories during the pandemic and will inform ongoing diagnostic laboratory infrastructure moving forward.