Sharjah approves Dh373m housing package for hundreds of Emiratis

Number of Emiratis eligible for the programme was raised by 500 in June

Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi's directive benefitted 550 Emiratis who received housing loans and grants. Wam

Housing loans and grants worth Dh373 million have been approved for hundreds of Emiratis in Sharjah.

The loans for 550 Emiratis were issued on Wednesdays in line with a directive from Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

This represented the third batch of housing support approved by the Sharjah Executive Council in 2023.

The money will be distributed across the emirate and will be used for construction, home extensions maintenance and the securing of government housing, according to state news agency Wam.

The funds will be used for the construction of new homes, the completion of partially built houses and property extensions.

They will also be used to carry out maintenance and to help Emiratis seeking to secure government housing.

Since the establishment of the emirate's Housing Department, total support extended to Emiratis now stands at slightly under Dh10.4 billion, with more than 12,100 people having reaped the benefits of the programme.

Earlier this year, Sheikh Dr Sultan increased the number of Emiratis eligible for the programme by 50 per cent.

The expansion, announced in June, means an additional 500 families will now have the opportunity to apply for housing assistance after the annual limit was raised to 1,500, from 1,000.

Changes following census results

The change followed the results of Sharjah's 2022 census, which reported a 22 per cent increase in the emirate's population to 1.8 million people.

Launched in 2012, the Sharjah Housing Programme has spent Dh8.9 billion ($2.4 billion) so far in supporting Emiratis, with 10,879 families having benefitted.

This includes more than Dh5 billion in housing grants and Dh3.4 billion in housing loans.

The news of the housing loans and grants in Sharjah came a few weeks after the Abu Dhabi government approved housing benefits for about 5,700 Emiratis.

“The wise leadership’s interest and continuous support for the housing sector in the emirate has led to achieving the aspirations of citizens, meeting their needs in a way that secures a decent life alongside family and social stability,” Mohamed Al Shorafa, chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, said at the time.

It was the third round of housing benefits this year in the UAE capital and brought the total value of packages disbursed in 2023 to Dh13.44 billion, which benefitted 9,292 Emiratis, according to Abu Dhabi's media office.

The package included Dh6 billion in housing loans for 3,714 Emiratis, on top of a decision to waive repayments by low-income retirees and the families of people who died in 2023, which came to more than Dh573 million, with 549 Emiratis benefitting.