Debt amounting to more than Dh475 million ($129.3 million) is to be wiped out from the financial burden of 1,435 Emiratis in a government agreement with 19 national banks and financial institutions.
Under a directive from President Sheikh Mohamed, the Defaulted Debts Settlement Fund will offer financial relief to cover humanitarian and medical cases, low-income borrowers, the deceased, low-income retirees and senior citizens.
The announcement was made in honour of the UAE's National Day, Eid Al Etihad, on December 2.
Settlements with banks are carried out according to strict legal and regulatory criteria related to the nature and purpose of each loan, with priority given to essential and necessary expenses.
The initiative, reported by state news agency Wam, seeks to reduce pressure on the defaulted and help them regain financial stability, while contributing to broader social development.
In a separate agreement, Sheikh Mohamed has approved the disbursement of Abu Dhabi's third housing benefits package of this year.
Valued at Dh4 billion, the new package will benefit 3,310 UAE citizens across the emirate.
The package includes housing loans worth Dh2.27 billion, benefiting 1,768 citizens, along with the provision of housing grants and ready-built homes valued at Dh1.51 billion.
It also includes loan repayment exemptions for limited-income senior citizens, retirees and families of the deceased, as well as housing loan reductions for citizens under the Emirati Family Growth programme, worth Dh208 million, to benefit 204 citizens.
The latest package takes the total value of housing benefits disbursed to Abu Dhabi citizens in 2025 to Dh15.384 billion, offering financial support to 10,718 citizens.
The announcement coincides with the 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations, reflecting the leadership's commitment to enhancing the well-being and social stability of citizens.
“As we mark Eid Al Etihad, we express our pride and deep appreciation for our leadership, which continues to prioritise the well-being and stability of Emirati citizens,” said Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority.
“This new housing package underscores the leadership’s dedication to enhancing quality of life for Emirati families and fostering a spirit of unity and giving that defines our society.”
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
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- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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