Abdullah Bin Oqeidah Al Muheiry, Secretary General of the Zakat Fund, said the number of beneficiaries stood at 2800 students of different educational levels. He added the assistance had lifted financial burdens off nearly 1000 families.

He indicated that the annual education assistance was raised to Dh 6000 from Dh 3700.

Launched in 2006, the student aid fund offered assistance to 1900 expatriate students last year.

The Fund’s ‘Read Project’ aims to financially support students who cannot afford their educational expenses.