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President MBZ announces more relief measures to support low-income UAE citizens

Published

4 years ago

July 4, 2022

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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.

For illustrative purposes only

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.

Related Topics:#UAE Emirati Featured fuel inflation MBZ measures Oil petrol Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed subsidy

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UAE launches free Fazaa discount membership for resident families: Who can apply and what you get

Published

10 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Resident families in the UAE can now apply for a free Fazaa discount membership as part of the country’s “Year of the Family 2026” initiative.

The programme, launched by Fazaa in collaboration with the Ministry of Family, aims to support family stability, strengthen social cohesion, and improve the quality of life for residents living in the UAE.

Here’s what you need to know:

Who can apply?

Resident families in the UAE are eligible if:

They live in the UAE
They have at least one son or daughter

The membership will remain valid throughout the Year of the Family 2026 and will expire at the end of the year.

What benefits do families get?

Members will gain access to a wide network of discounts and services, including:

Discounts at more than 34,000 retail outlets in the UAE and internationally
Offers on over 28,000 food and consumer products through Fazaa stores
Travel and accommodation deals at more than 500,000 hotels worldwide through the Fazaa Places service
Up to 70% discounts on entertainment and activity tickets through the Fazaa mobile app
Exclusive offers on various products and services

How to register

Families can apply online through the official Fazaa website.

Once approved, applicants can activate their digital membership cards, which can then be used to access discounts and services.

A dedicated support team has also been assigned to help residents with registration and activation.

Why is the initiative being launched?

The programme is part of the UAE’s Year of the Family 2026, which focuses on strengthening the role of families in society and promoting values of cooperation, stability, and community well-being.

Officials say the initiative also recognises the contributions of resident families who live and work in the UAE and play a role in the country’s growth and development.

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Dubai’s new grievance committee for government employees: What it means

Published

11 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Dubai has introduced a new system that allows government employees to formally challenge certain workplace decisions, following a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The new framework, established under Decree No. (5) of 2026, creates a Central Grievances Committee that will review complaints from Dubai government staff regarding administrative decisions affecting their jobs.

What is the new committee?

The Central Grievances Committee is a body created to review appeals from government employees who believe an administrative decision affecting them was unfair or improperly handled.

A separate Grievance Adjudication Committee will examine the appeals and issue final decisions.

Who will be on the committee?

The committee will include:

A chairman and deputy chairman
Members with legal and human resources expertise
Representatives from:
- The General Secretariat of the Executive Council
- The Supreme Legislative Committee
- The Dubai Government Human Resources Department

Members will be appointed by the chairman of Dubai’s Executive Council.

What decisions can employees challenge?

Employees may submit grievances against final administrative decisions affecting:

Their employment or legal status
Job roles
Working conditions

On what grounds can a complaint be filed?

Appeals can be made if an employee believes a decision involved:

Misapplication of the law
Failure to follow required procedures
Abuse of authority
Excessive disciplinary action
Lack of proper justification

How long do employees have to file a grievance?

Employees must submit their complaint within 14 working days after receiving written notice of the decision. Late submissions may still be accepted if there is a valid reason.

When can a complaint be rejected?

The committee may reject grievances if:

The issue falls outside its jurisdiction
The complaint is filed after the deadline
The matter has already been decided by the courts
The employee has no legal interest in the case

Are the committee’s decisions final?

Decisions issued by the Grievance Adjudication Committee will be final and binding on government entities. However, employees still retain the right to challenge decisions through the courts.

What else does the decree change?

The new decree replaces Executive Council Resolution No. (41) of 2015, which previously governed the grievances process for Dubai government employees.

The law will take effect once it is published in the Official Gazette.

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Dubai announces free parking, extended metro, tram, and bus timings for Eid Al Fitr

Published

11 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced extended operating hours for metro, tram, and bus services during the Eid Al Fitr holiday, along with free public parking for the first three days of the celebration.

Dubai Metro’s Red and Green Lines will run from 5:00am to 1:00am the following day between March 18 and 21, while services on Sunday, March 22, will operate from 8:00am until 1:00am.

Dubai Tram services will operate from 6:00am to 1:00am from Wednesday to Saturday, and from 9:00am to 1:00am on Sunday.

Some changes will also apply to intercity bus services. Route E100, which usually runs between Al Ghubaiba Bus Station and Abu Dhabi, will be suspended from the afternoon of March 18 until March 22. Passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi during this period are advised to use Route E101 from Ibn Battuta Bus Station instead. Meanwhile, Route E102, operating between Al Jafiliya Bus Station and Musaffah, will continue running from March 19 to 22.

The RTA advised commuters to check the S’hail mobile app for updated schedules covering Dubai Bus and marine transport services, including water taxis, ferries, and abras.

Public parking across Dubai will be free from the first day of Eid until the end of the third day, although multi-storey parking facilities will remain chargeable. Normal parking fees will resume from the fourth day of Eid.

Several RTA service centres will also close during the holiday. Vehicle technical inspection centres and Customer Happiness Centres will be shut from March 19 to 22, while some smart customer centres and the Umm Ramool centre will remain open 24 hours. Services are expected to resume on Sunday, depending on the length of Ramadan.