News
President MBZ announces more relief measures to support low-income UAE citizens
ABU DHABI (WAM) – In a welcome relief from the tightening economy squeeze for Emiratis, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the restructuring of the Social Welfare Progarmme of low-income citizens into an integrated programme worth AED28 billion instead of AED14 billion.
The move aimed at raising the annual social support allocation from AED2.7 billion to AED5 billion.
The programme, overseen by the Ministry of Community Development, covers various social aspects for national families with limited income, including the head of the family allowance, the wife allowance, and the children allowance. The programme also covers financial support for housing and other basic needs such as food, water, electricity and fuel, in addition to temporary financial support for unemployed job seeker, and unemployed citizens over the age of 45.
Introducing new allowances
The programme has introduced four new allowances: housing allowance, university education allowance, the allowance for unemployed citizens over the age of 45, and the allowance for the unemployed job seekers.
Housing allowance: The new programme includes a housing allowance between AED1,500 to AED2,500 per month until the family obtains government housing.
Applicants who live with their parents or any other family are entitled to 60% of these amounts. This allowance does not apply to those who obtain government housing subsidy or own a house registered in their names. Beneficiaries will stop receiving this allowance once acquiring government housing.
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University education allowance: An allowance of AED3,200 per month will be allocated to outstanding high school students enrolled in university studies (according to the requirements of the Education and Human Resources Council). The allowance also includes students enrolled in diploma and university education programmes according to the allowances of children for each family (between AED2,400 and AED800) up to the age of 25.
Allowance to unemployed citizens over the age of 45: It is one of the new financial subsidies within the social welfare programme, where a fixed subsidy is granted starting from AED2000 to AED5000 per month according to the age of the unemployed citizens.
Allowance for unemployed job seekers: This allowance extends for a period of six months, and amounts to AED5000 per month for each beneficiary, regardless of his age.
Increasing allowances
The social welfare programme has been keen to increase the allowances allocated to all family members, including the three current allowances: the allowance for the head of the family, the one for the wife, and the one for children.
- The allowance for the family head has been increased to start from AED5,000 per month and then increase at a rate of AED2,000 per month for every 10 years of work experience until it reaches AED13,000. Whereas the head of the family in the age group of 21-30 years receives an amount of AED5000 per month, and the allowance increases for the age group from 30-40 years to reach AED7000, and the age group from 40-50 years is AED9,000, and the age group from 50-60 years to reach AED11,000, and the age group of those over 60 years old, which amounts to AED13,000 per month.
- The wife’s allowance has been raised to AED3,500, with the aim of raising the social support that low-income national families receive.
- The social welfare programme includes increasing the children allowance to AED2,400 per month for the first child, AED1,600 per month for the second and third child, and AED800 for the fourth child or more, and it shall be disbursed up to the age of 21 years.
Inflation allowance
The programme includes three types of allowances: food, electricity and water, and fuel subsidies.
- The government will bear 75% of food price inflation, as a commitment to provide the necessary assistance to Emirati families to enable them to meet their living requirements and provide them with a decent life.
- Electricity and water subsidy worth 50% for electricity consumption less than 4,000 kilowatts, and monthly subsidy for water consumption less than 26,000 gallons.
The programme provides a monthly subsidy of 85% of the fuel price increase over AED2.1 per litre. The head of the family receives a monthly subsidy of 300 litres, while the working wife receives a subsidy of an additional 200 litres. Meanwhile, the head of the family receives a subsidy of 400 litres if the wife does not receive support.
Health
Dubai’s strict new medical rules: Why doctors, clinics and influencers face tough social media limits
If you scroll through medical feeds in Dubai, you’ve probably seen your share of ‘miracle’ transformations, ‘magic’ fixes, and glowing influencer reviews. That era is coming to a hard stop.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has rolled out sweeping new social media guidelines targeting every licensed doctor, clinic, and hospital promoting services across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp.
Here is a breakdown of what is changing, what is officially off-limits, and how it impacts anyone creating medical content in the emirate.
1. Hype words are banned
The DHA is tackling exaggerated claims that give patients unrealistic expectations. If you are promoting a procedure, you can no longer describe it with words like:
- Miraculous or magic
- The best, unique, or incomparable
- 100%, certain, or guaranteed success
- Zero side effects or immediate results
- Pioneer, famous, or exclusive
Any promo promising money-back guarantees, taking cheap shots at competitor clinics, or slamming government entities is strictly barred.
2. Influencers face direct accountability
Partnering with influencers won’t create a legal loophole. If an influencer features a clinic, treatment, or outcome, the content must be reviewed and signed off by the facility’s medical director before it goes live.
Even if an influencer shoots a reel on their personal phone inside a clinic or shares it to their private profile, the clinic itself is held legally responsible.
3. Strict rules on professional titles
Doctors and staff can only use the exact job titles printed on their official DHA licenses. Vague or buzzy marketing labels like Beauty Expert, Anti-Ageing Specialist, Cosmetic Specialist, or Cosmetologist are no longer permitted.
Additionally, the title Dr is reserved exclusively for physicians, dentists, and holders of recognised PhD degrees attested by the UAE Ministry of Education.
4. No surgery live-streams and tighter photo rules
The rules also clamp down on patient imagery:
- Operating Rooms: Filming or live-streaming promotional videos during minor or major surgeries, or while a patient is under anaesthesia, is completely banned.
- Before-and-After Shots: Photos must show the same patient, captured with the same camera lens, completely unedited, and paired with a clear disclaimer stating that results vary.
- Consent: Facilities must secure written consent before posting any patient’s image, video, or review (with parental consent mandatory for anyone under 18).
5. Separate accounts for visiting doctors
Doctors who divide their practice between Dubai and overseas can no longer mix their feeds. They are required to run a dedicated, Dubai-specific account that aligns fully with DHA standards, even when sharing content involving treatments done abroad.
6. Medical directors in the hot seat
Medical directors are now tasked with policing internal output. They must approve every social post mentioning the facility, archive content for unannounced DHA audits, designate moderators, and run regular staff training on what is legally acceptable.
The update forms part of the DHA’s wider 2022–2026 strategy to clean up digital medical marketing, respect local cultural values, and make sure patients get realistic, evidence-based healthcare information.
Dubai’s strict new medical rules: Why doctors, clinics and influencers face tough social media limits
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