DUBAI // Families of fallen servicemen have been given dispensation from paying off loans from the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ordered the exemption in recognition for the sacrifice the fallen servicemen had made.
The order will apply to the various types of loans offered by the establishment, including ones for purchase, construction, prefabricated housing, maintenance and house additions.
Families of fallen servicemen welcomed the decision and said that it was an indication of the care and attention they had been shown by the country’s leaders.
Sharifa Saeed, 79, whose son Hazeem Al Ali was killed during a military exercise in Saudi Arabia last June, said: “We were honoured last week for Mother’s Day. There are new ways of honouring us every day. The status of martyrs and their sacrifice is revered and appreciated. Our sons aren’t forgotten by their country and it’s heart warming to see that their families aren’t forgotten either.”
Ms Saeed added that such initiatives helped to ease the pain of losing a family member.
“Our leaders, bless them, have been there for us throughout the whole ordeal,” said Ms Saeed.
“We didn’t have time to grieve because we never felt alone because of their visits and all the compassionate gestures and kindness that they bestowed upon us.”
Sami Abdulla Gargash, executive director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment, believed that Sheikh Mohammed’s order reflected his “gratitude for the sacrifices of these heroes and his commitment to support their families”.
He told state news agency Wam that the exemption would “instil values of solidarity and mutual assistance among people in the community and to inspire the new generations with what has long characterised the UAE society’s values”.
The housing establishment also signed an agreement with the Armed Forces to provide a Homeland Protectors discount card to the members and veterans of the military.
The card will give them discounts and swift access to grants and loans.
“The martyrs of the UAE have done their country the greatest honour and represented a leading image of patriotism, love for one’s country and the lengths one would go to protect it,” said Mr Gargash.
Khalaf Al Ahbabi, an employee at the Armed Forces, said that the Homeland Protectors card and the loans exemption were some of the many ways the country had come together to honour the memory of fallen servicemen.
“There have been some schools that waived fees for martyrs. This new initiative is just another example of the appreciation and the special place these martyrs hold in our hearts,” he said.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae