Abu Dhabi Crown Prince launches four social support programmes

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has launched four social support programmes aimed at improving the lives of Emiratis.

The programmes include the doubling of the number of approved housing loans to UAE citizens to 5,000 annually and the amending of Abu Dhabi’s housing policy to reduce the wait time for delivery of land and loans and take into consideration income when it comes to payments.

The crown prince also approved an investment of Dhs3bn ($816.7m) to develop basic community facilities in Khalifa City, Mohamed bin Zayed City, Shakhbout City and Zayed City and integrated land plots “that are not subject to infrastructure plans within existing UAE citizens land”.

The money will also go towards studying the development requirements and community facilities of residential areas in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

Other announcements included the ‘Together Authority’, which will be responsible for managing social participation and contributions for citizens, expats and institutions,. It aims to support government institutions in developing voluntary and social work in the emirate.

“We are still deeply committed to that approach in light of the giving process led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and we are working towards achieving a sustainable strategy whose aim is to ensuring that the people of the UAE enjoy a dignified life in a community where values of cohesion, tolerance, coexistence, harmony and synergy prevail among its happy members,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The UAE is currently celebrating the Year of Zayed to mark 100 years since the birth of the country’s founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Read: UAE unveils memorial to founder Sheikh Zayed