The UAE has approved Dh1.68 billion in housing support for Emiratis as part of a long-term drive to bolster standards of living for its citizens.
The funding, which will be delivered under the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, was announced by the UAE Cabinet this week.
Authorities granted applications made by Emiratis for the construction of 2,160 houses in June.
The decisions have been made to coincide with the upcoming Eid Al Adha celebrations.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the ministerial gathering on Monday.
The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme was established in 1999 to help Emiratis, particularly those on low incomes.
Relief provided by the organisation includes funding applications for house construction, completion, purchase, maintenance and upgrades.
In June 2022, President Sheikh Mohamed ordered Dh2.3 billion of grant applications made to the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme to be finalised.
Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said at the time that all pending applications for funding assistance would be processed in the next five years.
Raising government efficiency
Sheikh Mohammed unveiled plans to streamline services offered by the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme to speed up the application process.
“We approved during the Cabinet meeting, 2,160 new housing decisions for citizens under the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme valued at Dh1.68 billion,” Sheikh Mohammed said, in remarks shared by the UAE Government Media Office on Tuesday.
“We also approved a project to simplify and reduce procedures within the programme in collaboration with 24 government entities.
“This will streamline the process, reducing the number of required documents for housing loan approval from 10 to two.
“We thank the teams working tirelessly to eliminate bureaucracy, re-engineer all government procedures, simplify them and ease the lives of our citizens.”
Known as the Manzil bundle, the enhanced platform is central to a wider push to reduce government bureaucracy and boost efficiency across the Emirates.
On Tuesday, the UAE expanded a government initiative to cut processing times for residency visas and work permits from up to 30 days to only five.
The move would benefit more than 600,000 businesses employing more than seven million staff, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said.
In February, Sheikh Mohammed, also Vice President, set out wide-reaching plans to make government services more efficient.
He said government departments would work to eliminate 2,000 unnecessary procedures within a year as part of the strategy.
Departments will aim to halve the time taken to carry out services under the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme announced in November.
Bonuses of up to Dh1 million ($272,000) will be awarded to the best performing employees or work teams.
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
