Ramadan 2022: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed orders Dh340m of assistance to needy people

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered Dh340 million ($92.5m) to be distributed through social welfare programmes during Ramadan.

This amount will be given in addition to the monthly aid provided to eligible people who are registered for social assistance across the UAE.

Federal Law No. 2 of 2001 states that the poor and several vulnerable categories are entitled to social security in the UAE.

These include Emiratis who are widowed and divorced, disabled people, senior Emiratis, orphans, children of unknown descent, unmarried girls, sick people, married students, the family of a prisoner, physically incapacitated people, vulnerable people who have been abandoned and citizens married to foreigners.

The benefits programme is the latest in a series of initiatives announced by the Abu Dhabi government to improve the standard of living and provide a decent life for all Emirati families.

Last year, more than 800 Emiratis were granted housing loans or had their debts cleared on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.

In December 2018, the capital launched Abu Dhabi Social Support Programme to support low-income Emiratis living in the emirate.

The income-based scheme managed by the emirate’s Department of Community Development offers housing support, free health care at private and government hospitals, and subsidies for food and services to eligible citizens.

The scheme was part of the objectives outlined in Ghadan 21, a Dh50 billion stimulus package and series of initiatives to improve the quality of life for Emiratis.