Sheikh Sultan announces supplementary grant for 2,114 families starting January 2024

His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, emphasised the significance of the role played by the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) in supporting the government in decision-making, understanding the needs of society, and assisting in the development of legislative systems and procedures aimed at providing a decent life for citizens.

He highlighted his reliance on the observations, recommendations, and proposals presented by the council and their incorporation into governmental actions.

That came in the Sharjah Ruler's speech delivered on Thursday during the inauguration of the proceedings of the first regular session of the 11th legislative chapter of the Sharjah Consultative Council, at the council’s headquarters, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Chairman of the Executive Council, and Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Sheikh Sultan addressed the key social issues and figures that he is actively working on with the specialised government entities in the Emirate.

He noted that the population of citizens in the emirate of Sharjah is 210,000, with 36 per cent being youth aged between 15 and 35, totalling 76,500 individuals. This demographic represents the group most in need of government services such as education, employment, and housing.

He highlighted the significant attention he personally gives to the education sector. Universities and academies in Sharjah offer hundreds of academic programmes at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, providing thousands of scholarships to ensure education accessibility for all Sharjah citizens.

He emphasised that individuals aspiring for education will always have access to opportunities and assistance to successfully pursue their studies and broaden their intellectual and cultural horizons.

HOUSING

Regarding housing, he explained that citizens submit housing requests with a total of 2,600 applications, of which 70 per cent meet the criteria and undergo evaluation. Council members will discuss the remaining 800 applications.

He urged council members to verify the circumstances of the lack of support and cautioned against rushing judgements on such matters. He reiterated his commitment to expedite the provision of housing support, aiming for beneficiaries to receive assistance at the start of family formation and marriage within three years.

The Sharjah Ruler also highlighted the housing support, which includes interest-free loans for an extended period, with the government covering the interest. This support encompasses ready-made housing grants and grants for individuals to build on their allocated land, where differences often arise in cases where there is a lack of agreement between the landowner and the contractor.

Employment

Addressing the employment sector, Sheikh Sultan mentioned that the government annually provides between 2,500 and 3,000 jobs with competitive salaries.

Graduates start with a salary of Dhs25,000, while the lowest salary offered is Dhs17,500.

Sheikh Sultan, after studying the needs of families and their decent living, approved these salary structures in consultation with government entities.

RETIREES

Sheikh Sultan also discussed the category of retirees from federal agencies and institutions among the citizens of the emirate of Sharjah, totalling 4,415 retired individuals with low incomes.

Starting January 1, 2024, this group will receive a supplementary grant that increases their monthly income to Dhs17,500, resulting in an annual cost of Dhs270 million. He noted that their numbers are increasing.

He explained that the Department of Social Services will give a supplementary grant to households, such as couples or siblings, totalling 2,114 families, starting on Jan.1, 2024, among the 8,547 cases of aid beneficiaries.

Concerning single individuals benefiting from the Department of Social Services, numbering 6,295 individuals, Sheikh Sultan mentioned that the cases include people with disabilities. Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services will study their cases to provide appropriate assistance. He clarified that other cases involve orphans, widows, and others.

WATER AND POWER PROJECTS

Sheikh Sultan also addressed water and electricity projects that will serve the Emirate for the next ten years. The development of water stations has received an allocation of up to Dhs828 million over the past five years. The estimated cost of the upcoming projects is Dhs2 billion.

He highlighted reservoir projects, such as the City Reservoir with a capacity of 1.3 billion gallons, Al Hefaiyah Lake with a capacity of 125 million gallons, Freyash Dam with a capacity of 125 million gallons, Al Rafisah Dam with a capacity of 250 million gallons, Al Ghazir Dam with a capacity of 250 million gallons, Al Dhaid Lake with a capacity of 400 million gallons, and the Hamriyah Plant, which will provide 90 million gallons daily, equivalent to Sharjah's current consumption.

Sheikh Sultan added that between 2020 and 2023, the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority allocated Dhs17 billion for the development and replacement of power stations and their extensions to serve the Emirate for the next 10 years.

STAY ENLIGHTENED

Lastly, the Sharjah Ruler urged the Consultative Council members to never let their emotions get the best of them by staying enlightened and aware. Communicating the needs of the community was his first priority, and he stressed the significance of keeping talks respectful, reasonable, and realistic.

The opening proceedings commenced with the arrival of the Ruler of Sharjah at the Consultative Council for the emirate of Sharjah.

Welcoming him upon arrival were dignitaries including Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Central Finance Department in Sharjah, Sheikh Khaled Bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Chairman for Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, Sheikh Khalid Bin Essam Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation Department, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Statistics and Community Development, Sheikh Majid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of the Districts and Villages Affairs Department, Sheikh Saud Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Digital Office, and Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of State for Federal National Council (FNC) Affairs. Also present were several members of the Federal National Council and local officials, heads, and directors of various local departments.

Following this, the 50 members of the Consultative Council took their oath before the Sharjah Ruler, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for his leadership. They pledged to fulfil their duties with dedication and sincerity, in line with the Sharjah Ruler's directives and vision.

Then, the first session began, chaired by the eldest member, Ibrahim Mohammed Juma Al Mansoori. During this session, the members elected Abdullah Bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi as the Chairman of the Consultative Council for the emirate of Sharjah. Halima Humaid Al Owais became the Vice Chairman of the Consultative Council for the emirate of Sharjah.

Following that, the Ruler of Sharjah, along with the attendees, proceeded to the Consultative Council Hall to commence the session. The session began with the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates, followed by the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. He then officially opened the first regular session of the eleventh legislative term of the Consultative Council for the emirate of Sharjah.

He expressed his wishes for the Council's success and effectiveness during its term, aiming to serve the interests of the nation and the emirate and to achieve prosperity for the citizens and residents of Sharjah.

Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, the Secretary-General of the Consultative Council for the emirate of Sharjah, read the Emiri Decree No. 81 for the year 2023 regarding the invitation of the Consultative Council for the Emirate of Sharjah to convene for its regular session, the first of the eleventh legislative term.

After that, the Ruler of Sharjah took a commemorative photo with the Chairman and members of the Consultative Council for its eleventh session. He then invited the attendees to partake in a lunch banquet hosted on this occasion.

WAM